Hi all. I'm so grateful for the expert advice I have got from this Breed and Gender Thread! I just thought I would let you know some follow-up: Two weeks ago, using this photo, you all identified Daphne as a cockerel. You are absolutely correct. His tail feathers now curl, he's perfected the strut, and his crow is a little weak and strangled but most assuredly a crow and not a morning cluck. This is Helen two weeks ago. I was still holding out hope that I had mis-lead the jury with a bad age guess. No such luck. As of today, he's asked to be known as Troy - king of the noisy crows. Both are headed out to the country half of our chicken partnership and will be traded for pullets. Still crossing my fingers for the future of Io. I'll aim to snag a more recent photo. In the meantime here's hoping. Her feathers are more rounded. Her stature is lower to the ground. I don't see pointy hackle or tell-tale saddle feathers. But yesterday she postured at Daphne. And today she bossed Helen-turned-Troy out of her way. Here she is two weeks ago:
That's a she on the bottom. And very neat - She's a blue barred (more like cuckoo though, as the barring is very smudged) bird.
i think Io is a hen, i dont think about posturing much cuz my hens can get pretty bossy with the other chickens, certain roos included. (my white jersey giant roo "Foghorn" rules the yard though)
