Please help with our barred rock!

[Juliette0214]

Hello-
We've had 'Roxy' for about a year now. About two weeks ago she made a soft crow! We were shocked as we've never had a rooster before, and because she waited this long to crow. She does not crow every day...just randomly here and there. We showed a picture to the person we bought her from, and he wasn't sure, but when we brought her in live, he said she's a rooster!

The weird thing is, she took a while to crow, and she doesn't have talons? Or a dripping tail? However her comb looks like a rooster?

We would be heartbroken to give her away as we raised from chick age and she/he is our favorite chicken. My kids adore Roxy! Our town doesn't allow roosters and the place we got her from says they kind find a home. But I hate to part with her/him. Anyone want to confirm she looks like a rooster? Many thanks.

 

[danceswithronin]

Yeah that's a rooster for sure. Or a hen who had a gender reversal, which is rare but does happen.

Is she laying? Most Barred Rock hens would be by a year old.

 

[AJKinville]

Should definitely be laying by a year old. I believe you have a rooster. Sorry

 

[rascal66]

Can you take a closer picture of them? Try showing more of the tail end. I'm just trying to look for saddle feathers. I don't really see it from the pic you posted and usually roosters grow those in in several months

 

[chrissynemetz]

Can you try to get close up pictures of the feathers? Yes it definitely has a rooster comb... but I'm not convinced. And I've personally had hens who would crow if they had no rooster, so.... idk

 

[AmyJane725]

In the absence of a rooster, some hens will undergo a hormonal change where their functioning ovary shuts down and they begin developing masculine traits, including crowing and mounting behaviors.

If she's not crowing every day probably not a rooster. She does have quite the comb and wattle on her though.

 

[Norcal527]

There are no obvious rooster saddle feathers...it looks like a hen...does it lay eggs?