Rooster or Hen?

Date sort Score sort
3

382767

Guest
I have a 4 month old Barred Rock, which is supposed to be a hen. Unless I'm way off base, I'm starting to think this is a rooster, although he/she has never crowed yet. I let them run around on my 1/4 acre lot and all he/she does a lot of the time is to jump on the other hens' backs and bites their neck while he/she's up there. I really don't know how chickens mate, but this is maybe what I'm seeing. The hens don't like it and some, very angrily, chase her/him away. Other just ruffle their feathers like their trying to just shake off the mess he/she made to her feathers. I don't know if anyone can tell from a photo, so I've included 2 photos--one head-on and the other a profile. This is my first time downloading a photo, so hopefully it comes out right Anyone have any ideas?





.
 
Pyxis said:
Some people really don't know how to tell a hen from a rooster, especially when they were told they were sold a hen. There's nothing wrong with being new to chickens and not knowing things. We were all new once :)
Click to expand...

I know lol. This just amused me a little. I had a guy once try to sell me a pair out of a cage full of roosters at my local stockyard.
 
How can you tell? By his actions or markings from the photos I attached? Do you know about what age they can mate with a hen?
 
It's a boy, wide white bars, narrow grayish barring, yellow legs. Females have narrow white bars, wider dark black barring, dark wash on legs.
 
arfdolph12 said:
How can you tell?  By his actions or markings from the photos I attached?  Do you know about what age they can mate with a hen?  
Click to expand...


The actions are a clue, but his appearance is the most definite giveaway. See how he has long shiny pointy feathers growing on his neck and above the base of his tail? Only roosters get those. His comb and wattles are also much larger than a hen's would be. Also, his tail is coming in. When it is fully in it will be long and curved over, something that hens don't get.

What Diva said also applies because he is a barred rock, and barred rock males look different than barred rock females in terms of color.

He's already mating with the hens :) That's what him jumping on them is.
 
Last edited:
Hi and welcome to BYC - glad that you have joined us. You have some great advice from DD and Pyxis, so I'll just say a big hello
frow.gif


All the best
CT
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom