Still have the stray, now have some questions on questionable advice.

[pointsalamander]

So my stray chicken is still with us. Lulu has been a member of the household for 2 months exactly today. I have been half heartedly looking for other chickens to put with Lulu should Lulu turn out to be a hen. (yes I STILL have no clue what sex this chicken is no eggs, no crowing, nothing). We went to a feed mill that sometimes has chickens. I inquired about other birds so that Lulu can have a companion. And the lady told me that their season had ended but then...
She tells me

"You shouldn't get another chicken yours will be nicer if you don't"

Everything I have read and understand tells me that these birds are social and should come in groups of 3 or more.

So I have no idea.

Is there any weight in what the feed mill employee told me?

Right now Lulu has an attitude problem and has been pecking us when we try pick her/him up to put her/him in the pen or nighttime cage. So I don't need that behavior to get any worse.... especially since technically Lulu belongs to a 4 year old girl.

 

[TroyerGal]

Well... If you keep Lulu (who btw looks a little bit roostery to me) I would get a little coop set up... like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Pawhut-Woode...2708&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=chicken+coop&psc=1

I would guess she would bond with Y'ALL more without other chickens... But i have 40 and they all like me and the little kids ( 'cept the roo)

 

[CuzChickens]

Hello there! Lulu looks like a LuCAS to me. He was probably dropped off because nobody wanted a rooster. If you are serious about keeping him, you do need to get him a coop or he will get eaten at some point or another. I do not know what the feed mill lady was thinking, it is quite the contrary, when a chicken does not have buddies, it will go crazy! I would get Lucas at least 6 girls to have a nice boy/girl ratio and no overmating. Also, looks like you have a Buff Orpington. Just so you know!

 

[AustralorpsAU]

Buff Orpington cockerel I'm thinking!

 

[pointsalamander]

We are very slowly (by we I mean my husband) building a coop/run area for Lulu. Right now lulu stays in a tall pen during the day except for when we are outside then Lulu can free range with her buddy my 4 year old. And then at night we put Lulu in a guinea pig cage safely locked away in the garage from the raccoons that we know rule the neighborhood.

I've gotten some very mixed ideas on rooster or hen

Most people here say rooster. Most of the local chicken people say hen (not joking, I still say hermaphrodite).

If Lulu turns to Lou we will have build the coop for a lot of nothing, Lulu will be taken to a farm a few hours away instead because Roosters are banned here. I live in city limits and the permit paperwork I have states ABSOLUTELY NO ROOSTER. And I can only apply to have 3 total birds without paying for a much more expensive permit (that I can't afford thanks to medically complicated younger child). So I am hunting craigslist for anyone looking to part with a for sure hen. (which I am loath to go pick up till Lulu either full declares Hen or Rooster).

Lulu was just a baby with some still downy feathers when Lulu came home. So we are hoping soon here that either there will be an egg or some crowing to tell us for sure.

But I am glad to know that the lady was mostly insane telling me that Lulu should stay alone. I'm like ummm the last guinea pig I had that was alone went insane even though we played with it often, it needed another guinea pig... glad to know chickens are on the same page.

 

[CuzChickens]

have you posted pics of him on the ''What breed or gender is this?'' page? Here is a comparison of my Buffs at that age:

 

[CuzChickens]

Buff rooster on the right, hen on the left. They are the exact same age. See how the hen has practically no comb?

 

[pointsalamander]

Yep I had. They all say rooster.

I hold out hope because if Lulu is actually Lou I have to break the 4 year olds heart.

Lulu has a very rooster like head. But no pointy feathers in the back to match. So I tell people rooster for a head hen for a butt

Eventually either there will be eggs or crowing. But for now Lulu is simply lulu.

 

[CuzChickens]

Well, you can get No-Crow collars, and add 2 hens for him. I just do not see how on earth that is a hen.........http://nocrowroostercollars.com/

 

[pointsalamander]

They like to tell me that the back end is wrong for a rooster and that by now there should be way more skinny fluffy feathers or something. Also the fact that this bird spends almost all the day scratching for grubs without a care in the world.