Need Help Identifying Several Hens and One Roo

[spiritdance]

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I was wondering the same thing. It's awfully light for a hen.

 

[jbrookebarrow]

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I'm pretty sure she's a she. I've never heard her crow and Leroy is cool with her; however, before the possum got her, she had some fluffy, vertical tail feathers that made me suspect roo. I'm leaning toward hen, though. Heck, she could be the one laying those pretty, brown eggs. No clue which one is doing that.

Edited to add: Just googled the barred rock hens and roosters, and Rudy is definitely a hen. Her tail feathers didn't look anything like those on the roos I'm seeing.

Also, the possum attack makes me suspect hen as well. When I went to shut them in the coop for the night, she was nowhere to be found. Around 4am, I heard her crying from under the house. Went to investigate and try to get her out, and when I peeped under the house, I saw the possum latched on. After several failed attempts to shoot the possum (4am, holding pistol and flashlight while lying on the ground in jammies.... yeah, no such luck), it let her go and she came running to me. I have to wonder if she was sitting on a nest somewhere and that's why she didn't come in for the night, and why it was so easy for the possum to get her. I'm not sure, but it's a theory I'm going with.

 

[jbrookebarrow]

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The gold in the hackles and saddle feathers.

Do you suppose the gold coloring will become more pronounced? Just a month ago he was almost entirely black with the greenish-purple tinge to his feathers. Now he has the gold showing a little more. I love the look of the big, buff roos with the black and gold coloring.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

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I was wondering the same thing. It's awfully light for a hen.

Me too, that looks like a rooster.

 

[JPinVT]

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Yeah... that's a roo.

 

[sevenbabychicks]

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Yeah... that's a roo.

Could you show us a close-up pic of those skinny feathers on either side of the wound? Those look A LOT like saddle feathers to me...

 

[jbrookebarrow]

Well, you were all correct on the BR being a roo. Luckily he already has a male name: Rudy.

My mom has seen Rudy getting it on with the ladies, but what I'm not understanding is that he's doing it with Leroy present, and Leroy is allowing it. He even comes up and pecks the hen on the head as Rudy is doing his thing (and vice versa). Still haven't heard Rudy crow.

Thank you to everyone for the input. I'm glad I know what I'm working with.

Oh, and my Gold Laced Sebright bantee, Gigi, has gone broody and is sitting on a bunch of unfertilized eggs with the exception of one from another hen. She'll be having a baby soon!