rooster or hen

[aim4balance]

Golden orpington chickens...I have two that were supposedly the same age when I bought them (8 weeks) at end of August. First pic has one of them, second pic below has both of them in it. What a difference, no?! Judging by their age when I got them, that puts them at between 5-6 months old now. I believe I have myself a rooster, but he has not crowed, and furthermore he shows submissive behavior. My 2 yr old hens show the dominant behavior--I only have 8 altogether, and no other roosters. So not sure why, if it is a rooster, he hasn't crowed yet, other than being submissive to the 2 hens at the top of the ladder here.

If he is a he and he doesn't crow--will he ever?

Will a rooster mate (i.e. fertilize eggs) without crowing?

Or do you think he is really a she?

ETA: Just saw him trying to mate with a couple of the girls this morning! Definitely a rooster. So still no crowing but he is in fact trying to mate. Ironically he's trying with his "sister" (chickens I bought at the same time) who I have't gotten an egg from yet.

 

[cafarmgirl]

You have a rooster and a hen. If he is about 6 months old he is just coming into the hormones, I'm sure the crowing will start soon as well as attempts to mate the hens and he will most likely begin to be more assertive with the boss hens as well. I always prefer the more mild mannered roo's anyway. If they start out nasty and aggressive at a very young age they don't generally improve lol!

 

[BantamLover21]

Rooster.

 

[junebuggena]

With those white earlobes, he's not an Orpington. He looks more like a Buff Minorca.

 

[drumstick diva]

agree with Junebuggena

 

[coxa11]

100% rooster no doubt orpingtons have smaller crowns so a chicken with one that larg is definetly a rooster and look at that tail!
But the crowing is he geting bullied by an other rooster? I'd check that

 

[aim4balance]

Man, what a bummer. My 2+ yr old girls bully, they certainly make their alpha statuses known to the other chickens.

My farmer friend called this chicken's a rooster back when he was 8 wks old, I was hoping she was wrong! Need to call her, she already offered to take him off my hands since I'm in a suburban neighborhood.

I was just brainstorming that if he didn't crow maybe I could keep him, I'd love to hatch my own eggs. But most likely he will crow, or if he doesn't, most likely he won't try mating right since I'm guessing mating and crowing are hand in hand?