Roo or Hen? Help Please...

[akcountrygrrl]

There are breeds where the roosters are "hen feathered" but no breeds where the hens are "rooster feathered". Sorry but not only is the black one a roo, it's not an Australorp. It's an Easter Egger. I keep going back and forth on the barred bird though. The coloring looks like a hen but the saddle feathers are looking rather pointed which would say roo.

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Maybe you know this, Akcountrygrrl, but if the barred bird is indeed a Barred Rock (and it sure looks like it), wouldn't a roo have totally yellow legs and not yellow with the black down the front like I think I see on this one? I agree with you though, the tail feathers seem to be leading the other direction. But the color... Oh, the mystery of it all.

 

[juliechick]

The barred bird is a mixed breed. It has slate colored legs. I have never seen a hen with the beginnings of curved sickle feathers like that. I'm sorry, but IMO they are both roos.

 

[akcountrygrrl]

Yay Chicks! :

Maybe you know this, Akcountrygrrl, but if the barred bird is indeed a Barred Rock (and it sure looks like it), wouldn't a roo have totally yellow legs and not yellow with the black down the front like I think I see on this one? I agree with you though, the tail feathers seem to be leading the other direction. But the color... Oh, the mystery of it all.

I'm not aware of leg color being an indication of sex for any breed. 'course I haven't read all of the breed standards in the SOP.

In this case with dealing with either a cross breed or a production quality Rock, leg color isn't going to mean anything.​

 

[cashdl]

Both roos. Tail feathers don't lie.

Lanae

 

[Southernbelle]

If you bought them a month ago when they were 6 months old, that seller KNEW they were selling you cockrels. It makes me so angry to see people knowingly taking advantage of a new chicken owner. Is there any way you can take them back and get hens?

I agree with what others are saying - they're both mixed breds and both roos. The BR roo is pullet-colored, but those tail feathers definately say roo.

 

[pimachickens]

Thanks everyone for the input. I am going to see if the seller will take them back. I have learned so much from this thread that I feel much better about being able to spot a roo when I get more chickens!

 

[kano]

Roo, without doubts.

 

[Drk_Wlf]

Yup definitely roos. That was just plain underhanded, I knew by the time mine were 2 mths who the roos were I am sure at 6mth she knew exactly what she was giving to you. Keep the australorp (if it is actually an australorp, it looks different then mine) if you live in an area where you can have them, they are the best! Friendly and relatively quite and gentle for a rooster, plus when you get your hens you can have fertile eggs to hatch out more chicks! Here is a pic of mine to compare he is around 6mth I think.

 

[TigerLilly]

My non-expert opinion (after going through the same thing the OP seems to be going through) is ROO. Sorry; I know how she feels!