Rooster or Hen?

[Windrider]

I don't know as much about chickens as many of the people who have already responded, but you might find this thread an interesting read. In your description of Speckles, you said (1) by far the largest in my flock, (2)makes weird noises, (3) doesn't crow or lay an egg. It rung some bells for me because I had just got through reading this:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/i-have-an-androgynous-chicken.1504007/page-3#post-25190617

I have no idea if this relates to your chicken, but it may.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

If it’s a cockerel, it’s VERY stunted. Makes sense, based on the poor diet it has.

 

[Kiki]

I don't know as much about chickens as many of the people who have already responded, but you might find this thread an interesting read. In your description of Speckles, you said (1) by far the largest in my flock, (2)makes weird noises, (3) doesn't crow or lay an egg. It rung some bells for me because I had just got through reading this:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/i-have-an-androgynous-chicken.1504007/page-3#post-25190617

I have no idea if this relates to your chicken, but it may.

Are you suggesting that it's possible this bird was damaged early on from such a poor diet?

 

[ccoscina]

I would like to ask you a serious question.
What makes you think the person that wrote what's written on the website you just linked above is an expert?


Are you aware that anybody with a few dollars can make a website and write whatever they want?

Not everything on the internet is real or true.

Corn does not make a chicken produce more body heat.

So, I'm well aware that anybody can make a website and you shouldn't just believe what you hear from people on the internet. With that being said - you are just another person on the internet and don't have any more credibility than the next guy. So there isn't any reason for me to blindly believe you either.

After adding cracked corn to the diet their eggs tasted better and their yolks had a more rich color. They have not decreased laying, their shells are rock hard, and they have plenty of meat on them. If my chickens were all doing terrible maybe I would be more inclined to believe your doomsday prophecies regarding corn in the diet. I'm not saying I can guarantee they wouldn't be better if I only gave them layer feed but saying my flock is a bunch of "poor girls" is a bit excessive. My chickens are much happier and probably much healthier than alot of chickens in factory farms. You make it sound as if I'm an abusive owner which is kind of insulting. It's one thing to give me factual information to support your claims but hurling insults at me isn't going to convince me. Maybe give me actual information instead of your own opinion and I might change my mind.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

So, I'm well aware that anybody can make a website and you shouldn't just believe what you hear from people on the internet. With that being said - you are just another person on the internet and don't have any more credibility than the next guy. So there isn't any reason for me to blindly believe you either.

After adding cracked corn to the diet their eggs tasted better and their yolks had a more rich color. They have not decreased laying, their shells are rock hard, and they have plenty of meat on them. If my chickens were all doing terrible maybe I would be more inclined to believe your doomsday prophecies regarding corn in the diet. I'm not saying I can guarantee they wouldn't be better if I only gave them layer feed but saying my flock is a bunch of "poor girls" is a bit excessive. My chickens are much happier and probably much healthier than alot of chickens in factory farms. You make it sound as if I'm an abusive owner which is kind of insulting. It's one thing to give me factual information to support your claims but hurling insults at me isn't going to convince me. Maybe give me actual information instead of your own opinion and I might change my mind.

Okay, here’s actual, proven facts:
Corn is not good for chickens.
It may make their eggs richer, but it will cause lots and lots of issues. They won’t have enough real nutrition. They will live shorter lives, lay less eggs, and become obese.
Just like a human would.
Those are facts.

 

[Windrider]

Are you suggesting that it's possible this bird was damaged early on from such a poor diet?

Uh... no? Did you quote the wrong poster?

If you read the thread, even Shadrach has had these non-gender conforming chickens. They are either female without a functioning ovary or male without functioning testes. The cases in the thread I linked have nothing to do with diet.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Uh... no? Did you quote the wrong poster?

If you read the thread, even Shadrach has had these non-gender conforming chickens. They are either female without a functioning ovary or male without functioning testes. The cases in the thread I linked have nothing to do with diet.

This is not the case for this chicken.

 

[Kiki]

Uh... no? Did you quote the wrong poster?

If you read the thread, even Shadrach has had these non-gender conforming chickens. They are either female without a functioning ovary or male without functioning testes. The cases in the thread I linked have nothing to do with diet.

The post that you linked... Mentioned something about an ovary being damaged early on.
Damage to organs can be caused by what they're fed.

 

[Kiki]

So, I'm well aware that anybody can make a website and you shouldn't just believe what you hear from people on the internet. With that being said - you are just another person on the internet and don't have any more credibility than the next guy. So there isn't any reason for me to blindly believe you either.

After adding cracked corn to the diet their eggs tasted better and their yolks had a more rich color. They have not decreased laying, their shells are rock hard, and they have plenty of meat on them. If my chickens were all doing terrible maybe I would be more inclined to believe your doomsday prophecies regarding corn in the diet. I'm not saying I can guarantee they wouldn't be better if I only gave them layer feed but saying my flock is a bunch of "poor girls" is a bit excessive. My chickens are much happier and probably much healthier than alot of chickens in factory farms. You make it sound as if I'm an abusive owner which is kind of insulting. It's one thing to give me factual information to support your claims but hurling insults at me isn't going to convince me. Maybe give me actual information instead of your own opinion and I might change my mind.

How old are your chickens?
The damage that is done by overfeeding chickens or giving them a severely unbalanced diet is not immediate.
It happens over time.
I'm not insulting you.

 

[Windrider]

This is not the case for this chicken.

Damage to organs can be caused by what they're fed.

Well, I do trust Shadrach as an expert in chicken behavior and keeping. And that Lav Orpington was well kept. Sometimes things don't develop correctly.

But I'll unfollow this thread and leave you guys to beat up the OP about diet.