My cockerel's adult instinct won't kick in.

[australorp_breeder]

I got a 8-month-old Australorp cockerel from someone about half a month ago. His old owner raised him since he was a chick, and he was always held a lot and spoiled. I've never heard a crow from him, and he hasn't attempted to mount any of my females yet. His previous owner told me she never saw either out of him as well.

The first week or so that I had him he would squat when I went to pick him up, obviously showing submission. Lately I haven't been picking him up as much and he no longer squats when I go to pick him up.

 

[Kittymomma]

Quote:
Ok, this might sound silly, but are you sure it's a roo? That really sounds like hen/pullet behaviour. Can you post a picture?

 

[australorp_breeder]

I am 100% sure he is a cockerel. The tips of the feathers on his neck are pointed, and not round. And he has those two tail feathers sticking up a little higher then the rest. Sorry I don't know the correct terms for all these feathers.

This is the only pic I have of him at the moment. I can take another if need be. This was the pic his previous owner sent me before I got him:

And no, it wasn't a silly question. It's always good to make sure

 

[momma's chickens]

I am so glad you asked this because I have been thinking about posting the same thing. I have a blue Orpington (which was my daughter's 4-H project last year and held and loved alot) that is also 8 months old and he is in with two blue hens. I so badly want some babies and he is just not into them. He crows but doesn't mate the girls or anything. I thought perhaps I was just not witnessing it so I have tried to incubate several batches of their eggs and on day 10 they get tossed as they are not fertile.

 

[australorp_breeder]

I want to figure this out because I want to get and use an incubator for the first time and breed/hatch purebred Australorps. But my plan kind of got pushed aside by how my cockerel is acting. He like to hang out with my white Leghorn cross, but hasn't tried breeding her.

What do you mean by 'project'? I've heard about it a lot, but wasn't sure with chickens. Like, showing? Raising?

 

[momma's chickens]

Project meaning we hatched him out of an egg, she raised him with the other ones we hatched, then after picking him, she turned them out in the chicken coop and she kept him seperate and worked with him. She showed him in the country fair and won a blue with him. Then we was turned out in the chicken coop and his brother was the more aggressive of the two roos. Now that he is with the 2 blue hens and has been for at least a month he seems to have no idea what to do with them.

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

your boy is a girl, the best way to tell is the rounded feathers by the tail, they should be sharp pointy feathers

like this guy:

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

momma's chickens :

I am so glad you asked this because I have been thinking about posting the same thing. I have a blue Orpington (which was my daughter's 4-H project last year and held and loved alot) that is also 8 months old and he is in with two blue hens. I so badly want some babies and he is just not into them. He crows but doesn't mate the girls or anything. I thought perhaps I was just not witnessing it so I have tried to incubate several batches of their eggs and on day 10 they get tossed as they are not fertile.

An 8 month old roo might not have reached his fertility yet, and the boy's need light just like the girls to perform​

 

[momma's chickens]

Well now that it is not midnight and my eyes aren't watering from too much bonfire smoke, yes, your "handsome" boy is a pretty girl.

Thanks Buck Creek for your reply, I know for sure ours is a boy and I will keep waiting to see what happens as he is beautiful, IMO.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Yup, you have a girl.