Need help identifying this breed

[JadeFarms]

Great, I was pointing it out because you said "girls do not grow saddle feathers", which is incorrect and could confuse some people.

Thanks, I should’ve been more specific when I said that.

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

See below. These appear to be male saddles. But OPs bird is an interesting case. Looking forward to seeing how she developes.

View attachment 2521542

I knew what you guys were talking about...I too saw what might be male saddles starting to form. I just think it's important to be accurate when we're talking about these kind of things, especially when a lot of people come here to learn.

At this point though, I think it doesn't matter. This chicken is more likely than not simply an outlier when it comes to secondary sex characteristics, and will probably just continue to receive calls of "cockerel!" no matter what evidence the OP provides. It's clear they are getting frustrated with the apparent disregard of their efforts to convince us, and I feel for them. It can be incredibly intimidating to have everyone against your point of view, especially when you've done everything you can to show your side of things.

 

[EmmaRainboe]

You guys might want to consider the possibility that the OP is correct about their chicken's sex. It is not outside the realm of possibility that a pullet can present with cockerel like characteristics. The phenomenon is well documented--it can occur because of hormone imbalance, such as what is caused by infections of the reproductive system. It's hard to pin down, because of the variability of the impact on the various cases, but it can manifest as a few masculine traits all the way to looking entirely like a male while still laying eggs (a possible origin of the cockatrice myths).

There are several famous cases if y'all want to look into it--"The Rooster of Basel", a hen who appeared to be male her whole life, so when she started laying they burnt her at the stake (this was the 1400s so...yeah); more recently in the US "The Rooster of Madison". There is a lot of variability in nature and for you all to continue to brow beat the OP when they have made pretty much every reasonable attempt to present evidence is beyond me. Is nothing short of an autopsy required to consider the possibility that they might be right?

Very good points. Assuming Audrey is female I still don’t think she laid that eggs as she doesn’t look mature enough for that yet, and is still quite young - also the vet said she would be delayed in laying. But, OP could always measure the pelvic bone.

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

Very good points. Assuming Audrey is female I still don’t think she laid that eggs as she doesn’t look mature enough for that yet, and is still quite young - also the vet said she would be delayed in laying. But, OP could always measure the pelvic bone.

That's true--I wonder if OP has a caliper?

As for early laying, laying at this age is normal for one of the presumed parent breeds, Welsummers...though Wyandottes do generally take a fair amount longer.

 

[cmom]

If it has a rose comb, it would be a Wyandotte. Good luck...

 

[EmmaRainboe]

That's true--I wonder if OP has a caliper?

As for early laying, laying at this age is normal for one of the presumed parent breeds, Welsummers...though Wyandottes do generally take a fair amount longer.

Welsummer? I thought she was supposed to be Barnevelder x Wyandotte? Maybe I’m remembering wrong.

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

Welsummer? I thought she was supposed to be Barnevelder x Wyandotte? Maybe I’m remembering wrong.

Lol you right. I'm the one with a Welsummer cross! I guess she's just on my mind.

 

[AusHen]

It's a Wyandotte cockerel. Colouring is off which is common in backyard quality here in Australia. Sorry pointy saddle feathers don't lie, it's a cockerel

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

It's a Wyandotte cockerel. Colouring is off which is common in backyard quality here in Australia. Sorry pointy saddle feathers don't lie, it's a cockerel

But they can. There is such a thing as male presenting pullets and hens. It is rare, but entirely possible.

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

*sigh* fine, here's an excerpt from poultry.extension.org (emphasis mine):

"How does spontaneous sex reversal occur? Typically, a female chicken has only one functional ovary, the left one. The right ovary and oviduct are present in the embryonic stages of all birds but usually do not develop in chickens. Most cases of spontaneous sex reversal result from a disease condition that damages the left ovary. This condition could be an ovarian cyst or tumor or diseased adrenal glands, which cause the left ovary to regress. Residual tissue in the right ovary develops in the absence of the functional left ovary. This regenerated right gonad is known as an ovotestis and may contain some tissue characteristics of the ovary, the testes, or both. Steroidogenically functional, an ovotestis secretes androgen as well as estrogen. As a result, the hen develops male secondary sex characteristics. So, although the bird is genotypically female, it is phenotypically male. (Genotype refers to the actual traits coded for in paired genes; phenotype refers to the observable expression of those traits.)"