Rooster or Hen?

[TheOddOneOut]

Look closely at the curve. These tail feathers are just coming back in because they had all been pecked off when they were vent pecking it a couple months ago. They will be more curved soon and i will post again in a month.

Those are female tail feathers.
I had a girl whose tail was curvy when she was young too.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

I have a rooster like this. He's always made scared noises, and, at seven months, makes weird noises that I can only describe as peeping. He lives in the bachelor pad with three other, more dominant roos, and has never had enough to eat, as he's been too scared. As a chick, he came out of the egg tiny, two-thirds the size of the others. He was picked on by them, and is still missing his neck feathers. I thought he was a hen for a very long time, but he does have some hackle and saddle feathers, which is what finally convinced me. If the chicken in question is a hen, it may not lay eggs for a long time, because it's so malnourished. I'm not saying it's your fault, just stating the obvious. If it's a rooster, it may not crow, because it's so terrified of everything. Can you put him/her in a different pen, so he/she can get some decent nutrition?

This is just my experience with this type of thing. I am not professing to know any more than any of the other people in this thread. However, I do think everyone should give OP a break. They started this thread to ask if their chicken was a rooster or a hen, and it's just degenerated from there.

 

[ccoscina]

I have a rooster like this. He's always made scared noises, and, at seven months, makes weird noises that I can only describe as peeping. He lives in the bachelor pad with three other, more dominant roos, and has never had enough to eat, as he's been too scared. As a chick, he came out of the egg tiny, two-thirds the size of the others. He was picked on by them, and is still missing his neck feathers. I thought he was a hen for a very long time, but he does have some hackle and saddle feathers, which is what finally convinced me. If the chicken in question is a hen, it may not lay eggs for a long time, because it's so malnourished. I'm not saying it's your fault, just stating the obvious. If it's a rooster, it may not crow, because it's so terrified of everything. Can you put him/her in a different pen, so he/she can get some decent nutrition?

This is just my experience with this type of thing. I am not professing to know any more than any of the other people in this thread. However, I do think everyone should give OP a break. They started this thread to ask if their chicken was a rooster or a hen, and it's just degenerated from there.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience. Yes your experience sounds just like mine. I believe Speckles will never crow because it is too scared. Thank God because if it starts crowing I'll have to snap his neck and chop him up, and I will be sad if i have to eat him.

If it's a hen that's fine but I just have the feeling at this point that it's a rooster. I didn't feel this way til a month ago.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience. Yes your experience sounds just like mine. I believe Speckles will never crow because it is too scared. Thank God because if it starts crowing I'll have to snap his neck and chop him up, and I will be sad if i have to eat him.

If it's a hen that's fine but I just have the feeling at this point that it's a rooster. I didn't feel this way til a month ago.

Is there any way you can separate him from the rest of the flock so he can mature? Probably only then will you know for sure.

 

[ccoscina]

Is there any way you can separate him from the rest of the flock so he can mature? Probably only then will you know for sure.

I already did that a couple months ago. It was bleeding bad from its ass and had all the tail feathers picked off. So I let it come live in my bedroom with me. Then i eventually released it back and I hand feed it every day and often keeps it inside the coop with the door shut while the girls are out in the run. Now it has gradually built up enough courage to eat from the main feeder. But I had to punish those naughty girls for a long time, by holding them down and putting speckles on top of them with speckles claws in their back to make them hesitant to attack speckles. I only did that when they would bully her and finally they learned their lesson and don't peck Speckles as much.

 

[Iluveggers]

I was just going to suggest if your chicken actually is a roo & begins to crow, why not put him on Craigslist or on here & see if someone would take him in if you don’t want to eat him.

Thank You! I think you are the only friendly person on this entire thread. If you ever come down to Rhode Island I would be happy to cook you dinner ❤

Sorry. Didn’t think my idea would be taken as unfriendly. Just trying to keep your chicken alive.

 

[ccoscina]

Sorry. Didn’t think my idea would be taken as unfriendly. Just trying to keep your chicken alive.

Oh I didn't see that one. Thing is most people that would take it would eventually eat it. I did give Favorite to a no kill farm but that guy pissed me off so I don't talk to him anymore.

Unless it's somebody that actually wants to keep it alive forever I would rather eat it myself. I would prefer it die how I want it to die. When their life slips away in your hands it is a very personal and intimate experience.

I never had a problem with you, multiple people in this thread were cool but some were annoying.

 

[ccoscina]

Sorry. Didn’t think my idea would be taken as unfriendly. Just trying to keep your chicken alive.

The only thing that annoyed me in this thread were people telling me that my chickens are poor girls and implying I'm a bad rooster (yes I'm the alpha rooster of my flock )

 

[Iluveggers]

No worries.

 

[EmmaRainboe]

Unless it's somebody that actually wants to keep it alive forever I would rather eat it myself. I would prefer it die how I want it to die. When their life slips away in your hands it is a very personal and intimate experience.

Completely understand. I’m the same way.