RK buy not sure he/she or breed

[Loomischic]

Approximately now 10-12 weeks …I’m guessing I’m not sure of sex or breed. Very gentle bird, My favorite. Beautiful coloring. not a roo

 

[TheWasp]

I'd say EE and cockerel! Sorry!!

 

[FunClucks]

Sorry to tell you this, but that's a roo, based on size and redness of comb. The male-specific red feathering on wings puts it beyond doubt. Hope it stays nice for you and becomes a sweet roo.

 

[Loomischic]

Sorry to tell you this, but that's a roo, based on size and redness of comb. The male-specific red feathering on wings puts it beyond doubt. Hope it stays nice for you and becomes a sweet roo.

this is my first flock. Can you explain the red coloring on wings? I read other posts mentioning it. He is so multicolored I wasn’t sure

 

[Loomischic]

Should he crow by now ? I think he is closer to 12 weeks

 

[TheWasp]

this is my first flock. Can you explain the red coloring on wings? I read other posts mentioning it. He is so multicolored I wasn’t sure

Personally I don't believe the red feather thing. My little EE pullet has red feathers on her wings.

 

[TheWasp]

Should he crow by now ? I think he is closer to 12 weeks

They'll crow when they're ready. My Salmon Faverolles boy didn't crow til close to a year old

 

[NatJ]

this is my first flock. Can you explain the red coloring on wings? I read other posts mentioning it. He is so multicolored I wasn’t sure

Males and females can have red color anywhere (example: purebred Rhode Island Reds have it everywhere.)

But on multi-colored chickens, the males are especially prone to getting red in certain places. Here are two hatchery pages with photos of sexlinks, where the roosters are mostly white but have red patches on the wings. They are a very obvious example of where the red is likely to be:
https://www.thechickhatchery.com/product/red-sex-link/
https://www.backyardchickies.com/products/brown-sexlink-available-now

Your cockerel has several shades of gold and red, but he is getting the darker red in his wings.


For your specific bird, I think I also see male-specific saddle feathers coming in, just in front of his tail. They tend to be skinny with pointed ends, and over time they grow long and hang down to both sides. They only grow on male chickens (or on females with hormone issues, but that is much less common.)

Should he crow by now ? I think he is closer to 12 weeks

Some cockerels start crowing by that age but some wait longer. Some wait as long as 6-8 months, although those are fairly rare.

 

[Loomischic]

Tha

Males and females can have red color anywhere (example: purebred Rhode Island Reds have it everywhere.)

But on multi-colored chickens, the males are especially prone to getting red in certain places. Here are two hatchery pages with photos of sexlinks, where the roosters are mostly white but have red patches on the wings. They are a very obvious example of where the red is likely to be:
https://www.thechickhatchery.com/product/red-sex-link/
https://www.backyardchickies.com/products/brown-sexlink-available-now

Your cockerel has several shades of gold and red, but he is getting the darker red in his wings.


For your specific bird, I think I also see male-specific saddle feathers coming in, just in front of his tail. They tend to be skinny with pointed ends, and over time they grow long and hang down to both sides. They only grow on male chickens (or on females with hormone issues, but that is much less common.)


Some cockerels start crowing by that age but some wait longer. Some wait as long as 6-8 months, although those are fairly rare.

Thank you. For all the info. Very helpful

 

[SchwartzLakeFarmNC]

Excellent post by NatJ! Very well explained.
From my experiences with lot's of EE's, my Pullets/Hens have always had an even pattern or consistant pattering, my Cockerel was mixed pattern and "splotchy" coloration.