Pullet or roo

[renk777]

Sorry the little bug looks so filthy....we've had a ton of rain and despite tarping everything and putting down shavings daily, everything is soaked from below up. Sunshine this morning; hoping it dries up a bit! Anyway, picked up this cockerel as a potential roo depending on how he matures. He's 10 weeks. And just not very roo-ish. I got another BCM from the same woman last year...that roo was attempting to crow before I picked him up at 8 weeks. By 9 weeks, he was mounting my hens and fertilizing eggs. Always thought that was odd...even got ground level to make sure I wasnt imagining things. I wasnt. He looked ridiculous perched on top of our full grown girls. And the bullseyes on eggs confirmed he was capable. Anyway, I'm starting to suspect this one might be a pullet though he doesn't exactly look like a pullet...but certainly stands like a pullet much of the time. Maybe he's just a very slow-to-mature roo? Last I checked, no hackles coming in to confirm though I'll keep checking daily. I put him on the other side of the wire from my full grown boy and not a single hackle/feather went up on either so that doesn't offer any help...Figured I'd ask you guys. Lady I got him from kept 2 pullets...1 looks like a pullet...the other. .more roo-ish than mine. So now we're both stumped. Thoughts?

 

[TheTwoRoos]

He’s not slow to mature,he’s just a child still,lots for roosters don’t even begin mating and etc till four or five months,some six.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Cockerel, and in my experience, that looks like normal development. The ones that mount hens and crow at nine weeks are the freaks.

 

[Bonniebooboo]

Cockerel. Give him a little time.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

Cockerel... and he probably won't crow for fear of a thrashing from your older rooster...

 

[KikiLeigh02]

Cockerel, male feathering doesn't normally start coming in until at least 12 weeks. The other one just matured super fast, 9 weeks is really early to start mating! @Frazzemrat1 makes a really good point about the lack of crowing.

 

[Kessel23]

Cockerels will usually not crow at all with a older rooster around, in the wild a rooster will only expel sexually mature roosters from his territory. A young rooster would benefit from staying in the territory of a older one so they will pretend to be juveniles for as long as possible, they will avoid crowing and will not mount hens. I have a 11 month old RIR cockerel who still has not started to crow or mate. Already crowing cockerels will usually stop crowing if introduced to a mature rooster. That is definitely a cockerel though, he has a well developed comb and wattles at 9 weeks, no hen will have that. Adult feathering shouldn't come in at 9 weeks.

 

[renk777]

Cockerel, and in my experience, that looks like normal development. The ones that mount hens and crow at nine weeks are the freaks.

Hahaha I think you hit that nail on the head! We hatched out some eggs from our freak boy x red sexlinks. The roo? Waaaaayyyy more roo-ish. Not crowing yet but lots of red hackle feathers coming in...and he's younger than this boy. Maybe he inherited his dad's freakish maturing rate trait?

 

[renk777]

Thank the Lord juvies don't crow with a mature roo around! I have 8 young boys 16 weeks and under. I've been counting my blessings that they're silent. Makes sense as to why! Technically, I can't have roos but my freak is quiet enough and I have great neighbors!

 

[cassie123]

Cockerel