Roo or not?

[carahill]

5-6months old. Bird was making some noise early mornings for awhile, thought he was crowing. Not hearing anything else now. Roo or hen?

 

[donrae]

That's a hen

 

[carahill]

Good news but how does one know????

 

[carahill]

Thanks for advice!

 

[lilbeastpdx]

Thanks for advice!

For starters, her feathering is very much a hen. Roosters would have very long, thin, shiny feathers on their necks and tails (hackles and saddle feathers, respectively). The tail feather would be tall and curved as well. Your girl has wide, rounded feathers just about everywhere and that is typical of a hen.

Pretty bird!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

At maturity, which is typically 5 to 6 months of age, roosters will have saddle feathers (stringy feathers cascading off their back just before the tail) and sickle feathers (long curved) in their tail. They also tend to have blotchy coloring with bright color patches while hens have even patterns.

A mature rooster, depending upon the breed will have a very impressive comb and wattles...but some breeds have impressive combs on hens as well...the roosters will just outshine the hens.

You have a hen.

LofMc

ETA: Roosters also tend to have a tall lanky stance, with narrow hips, while hens have a lower more tear drop shape with wider hips (for egg laying)

 

[carahill]

Thanks I will take ur word for it! I guess that was just hen babbling not cock a doodle doo's!?!

 

[carahill]

This is my other girl! Somebody started laying eggs this weekend !

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Hens will make an "egg song" when they are getting ready to lay, and just after laying.

It is very squawky, and can be quite noisy, especially as a new hen comes into lay the first time.

Roosters will give the traditional coo-ka-doo-da-dooooo. At first it comes out like a wheeze, then over time they gain "manly" volume.

Do you know the breed?

I'm thinking Campine? (although the leg color looks willow on the silver)

LofMc

 

[lilbeastpdx]

This is my other girl! Somebody started laying eggs this weekend !

The one in the middle looks like a brown leghorn to me, but there are others who are more expert than I am on breeds.

Also, regarding the "egg song"...there is a classic sound that many hens make. Now, to confuse things, my first layer (a mix of easter egger and bantam something) actually crowed like a rooster two weeks before she laid her first egg. I almost got rid of her, and many people on this forum were absolutely convinced that she was a rooster (with hen feathering). I waited, and sure enough, she laid her egg and now lays about six per week.

When my girl does her egg song, it is a HORRIBLE noise. Something between a screech, a groan, and a squawk. So again, she doesn't do the typical egg song but she is definitely laying. All that to say, your girl's egg song may be very unique. You just never now.

I have another girl who hasn't started laying yet, but sings the classic egg song daily. She's at 26 weeks now, so I expect her to lay soon. But it seems that with chickens, "imprecise" is more of the word I would use and not "scientific"