Roo Confusion? (EE)

[GreenCreekHaven]

This is probably so obvious to longtime chicken keepers but this is my first flock and all different breeds. My Easter Egger "crowed" a couple times over a month ago but I have not seen or heard him/her do it since. Has quite a red comb but no wattles. Another chick in the flock (Wyandotte) turned out to be a roo and crows everyday and seems to be alpha/top of the pecking order. Is that why my EE stopped crowing? It's only a flock of 5 chickens. Is my EE for sure a roo? They are appx 12-13 weeks old now. I can only keep one rooster so I want to make sure before re-homing.

 

[-Chanticleer-]

Roo for sure that red coloring coming through on the wings is a sign of a cockerel. Only males will have red leakage on wing feathers. EE usually do not have wattles or if they do that are very small.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

This is confusing because the red on the wings usally means male. But j dont see any saddle feathers. But the comb is large. More than likely a male though

 

[-Chanticleer-]

This is confusing because the red on the wings usally means male. But j dont see any saddle feathers. But the comb is large. More than likely a male though

Hackles are coming in thin and shiny too. Some saddle feathers here.

 

[fluffycrow]

Yes this is a cockerel. You don't see any wattles because pea comb and beard. The most probable explanation as to why he stopped crowing is because the other one has, and is the top male. I haven't found this to follow them through into adulthood, but younger cockerels *sometimes* suppress their crowing when another male higher in ranking is present. Usually that bird is also older, but it seems like in your case this guy took it too seriously. Or it might be that he wasn't up for it yet. I've had cockerels who tested out their crows, stopped, and then started crowing for good a month later

 

[GreenCreekHaven]

Yes this is a cockerel. You don't see any wattles because pea comb and beard. The most probable explanation as to why he stopped crowing is because the other one has, and is the top male. I haven't found this to follow them through into adulthood, but younger cockerel *sometimes* suppress their crowing when another male higher in ranking is present. Usually that bird is also older, but it seems like in your case this guy took it too seriously. Or it might be that he wasn't up for it yet. I've had cockerels who tested out their crows, stopped, and then started crowing for good a month later

Thank you for answering about the lack of crowing part too! In my gut I really thought cockerel but just want to be 100% sure before losing one of them!

 

[ShrekDawg]

Definitely a cockerel. Probably stopped crowing cause of the more dominant one

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

Hackles are coming in thin and shiny too. Some saddle feathers here.

I didnt even see those sorry yes definitely a cockeral