Rescue hen is starting to look like rooster??

[sincerelyclueless]

Hi! New here. Early this fall I adopted 4 hens from a local vegan farm sanctuary. They are very reputable and take wonderfully good care of their animals. When I adopted 4 hens in early Sept. they told me that they did not know their exact age because they were surrendered kindergarten hatches. So, I assume they had to have been born between April and May before school ended. That means they could roughly be between 4-5 months old now. She told me the lot were mostly Black Sexlinks, but could also be Australorps. I assumed the 4 we got were Black Sexlinks because they all looked the exact same, with minor differences in coloring of their combs. I've had them for roughly 6 weeks and one is starting to very much look like a rooster to me! At first, I told myself it couldn't be because a Black Sexlink rooster has a white head but then I started to think hmm, maybe that chicken is actually an Austra (they look similar, yes?) and so this chicken could very much be a male Austra. Could anyone please help me? I have not heard the chicken crow yet, but according to google (and not knowing when it was born exactly), we may still have time for that to happen...

 

[HollowOfWisps]

100% cockerel. Pointed saddle, hackle and red shoulder.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Yes the one is a male.
Not a BSL or Australorp. I would guess they're all mixed breeds

 

[JedJackson]

It's definitely a cockerel, but it is not a sex link or an Australorp. It's a mixed breed of some kind.

 

[sincerelyclueless]

Holy crap, blah. This is my first time raising chickens and I assume having a cockerel makes everything more complicated? I also have a batch of 6 baby chicks (roughly 7 weeks old) who will eventually enter the coop. I raised these from birth (purchased from a hatchery). I wouldn't want to jeopardize the safety of my other hens...

 

[Liberty-Chicken]

If he's not been aggressive to your hens and he's grown up with them it should be fine unless you are worried about crowing. When introducing your chicks try separating them in a different cage but have it in the coop so that they can get to know your chickens better. Even hens will fight other chickens because of the pecking order so you should probably take it slow even if you don't have a rooster. From my experience, the roosters have not been a big deal when they've grown up with the flock, I actually have a cockerel right now and he's been really docile with the others

 

[sincerelyclueless]

Thanks for the reply! He has been very protective of the hens and all seems well. EXCEPT lately he crows lit-er-al-ly ALL DAY long. Our neighbors must hate us. From other threads, it sounds like nothing can be done regarding it...

 

[Ecarroll]

Thanks for the reply! He has been very protective of the hens and all seems well. EXCEPT lately he crows lit-er-al-ly ALL DAY long. Our neighbors must hate us. From other threads, it sounds like nothing can be done regarding it...

In time he will probably mellow out, he is right now a hormonal cockerel, so crowing a lot is natural. Even though you weren’t expecting a cockerel, having one is a good experience, and can be great for your flock in means of protection, keeping everyone together and the ability for you to hatch eggs. Good luck with the pretty boy!