Pullet or Cockerel?

[CrazyCluckingChick]

Hi all!
I've got a four-month old Ameraucana, who I was pretty sure was a pullet, but now she's making me wonder.
She's in the middle of the pecking order (mixed age hens, both older and around her age), but she's been fighting with her sister (bottom of the pecking order) on and off for the past few weeks. She's not crowing, but has been puffing out her neck feathers. She's the youngest out of all our chickens. I'm hoping it's just hormones or sibling rivalry. I'd appreciate your input. Thanks!

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

I call for a cockerel, with that red of a comb and thick legs.

 

[Chive]

Looks like a cockerel to me, sorry.

 

[jpalmatier83]

Ditto. Cockerel

 

[chrissynemetz]

I agree, it does appear to be a little cockerel.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

She's not crowing, but has been puffing out her neck feathers.

I also want to point out that all chickens raise their hackles when they are angry, whether they are a female or a male. Raising of the hackles when angry is a reaction.

 

[Chive]

I also want to point out that all chickens raise their hackles when they are angry, whether they are a female or a male. Raising of the hackles when angry is a reaction.

Very true.

 

[CrazyCluckingChick]

Can you please tell me what you're seeing on him to identify him as a cockerel? I'm learning as we add more chickens to our flock and appreciate all of your help! He's got one small saddle(?) feather which lays down most of the time then pops up, but so do a lot of our laying hens. His neck feathers are a lot like our wheaten maran's (who he fights with) so I'm curious since I've got three around the same age. I don't know if it's their ugly teenager phase or what. I'm attaching some more pictures of him from this morning.

 

[jpalmatier83]

The feathering is part of it, but like swampprincess said, that’s a really developed red comb and thick legs for body size at 16 weeks.

You wouldn’t expect a comb that red until just before laying, and 16 weeks is almost always too early for that.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

Can you please tell me what you're seeing on him to identify him as a cockerel?

Your bird has too much of a reddened face to be a pullet at this early of age, he has very thick legs, and you can see a very slight developing sick feather at the base of his tail. All of those things point to a cockerel.

He's got one small saddle(?) feather which lays down most of the time then pops up, but so do a lot of our laying hens.

All chickens have saddle feathers, unless they are of the Featherless breed. It is the downward-curving, pointed sickle feathers that hens do not have.

His neck feathers are a lot like our wheaten maran's (who he fights with) so I'm curious since I've got three around the same age.

If he fights with any others, more than likely those are cockerels as well, but sometimes hormones get the best of them and cockerels randomly attack the females. You can attach pictures of your Wheaten Marans, and we can sex them as well.