Strange Hen

[Zapa]

I got a few hens last night and one is different in a lot of ways from any chicken I've ever seen. The most noticeable thing is her personality. She is friendlier than any chicken I've ever seen. Now I'm not new to raising chickens. I've hand raised flocks that adored me and would follow me anywhere. There is a difference here. She is friendly to all. My dogs, my other chickens, my kids, even to 1 week old baby chicks who she is currently staying with. I put her in with my flock for most of the day and expected the normal fight to establish pecking order but she went right over and started trying to make friends with my Delaware's who did not return the gesture of friendship. Every time i would go out to check on how she was doing she would fly right at me and bounce off the chicken wire at about head height. So i went in with her and sure enough she flew right up on my shoulder.
It's brutally cold out so i was concerned about her stress level with the bigger hen's being mean to her so i brought her in to hang out with the Cuckoo Maran hatchlings.
The next very odd thing about her is how she sounds. She sounds exactly like a baby chick 90% of the time. I've heard her coo like a hen but mostly she chirps like a hatchling. She will also whistle like a song bird every once in a while. Sounds like a tit mouse.

I'm guessing she is a young Lavender Orpington i'm not not sure about even that. I would normally never try to put an adult chicken with hatchlings but my instincts told me she would be fine with them and sure enough they tried to challenge her, she retaliated gently and only in defense when they pecked her. I'm not sure what to make of her.

 

[N F C]

I don't know what breed she is but she is a beautiful color! Sounds like a real sweetheart.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Can you get a full profile shot in as normal stance as possible? I'd like to see her body stance and feathers in natural position.

Do you have any idea how old this bird may be?

Not looking like an Orpington to me, at least not at that photo angle, as feathers and tail are wrong.

I'm thinking she is a teen he and of game origin....that would explain the unusual vocalizations.

Some games can be very, very friendly, especially if someone had worked a bit with it, which obviously that has happened.

I had a game that would fly to the top of the coop every night and wait for me to put a rake up to her to ride down and receive personal service to be placed in the coop roost. With little effort I could have trained her to ride on my shoulder, unfortunately, she met an untimely death due to a rat trap left unattended.


LofMc

 

[Zapa]

How is that? I don't see game bird in her but i could be wrong. I would not be a bit surprised however if she lays green eggs.

tips of her wings are white. She was not well cared for or loved at her previous home, i know where she came from. She is a teen for sure.

 

[junebuggena]

How is that? I don't see game bird in her but i could be wrong. I would not be a bit surprised however if she lays green eggs.

tips of her wings are white. She was not well cared for or loved at her previous home, i know where she came from. She is a teen for sure.

Fully feathered, but still cheeping, suggests the bird in question is about 10 to 12 weeks old. With that red comb, it's a cockerel. Pullets do not turn red until they are almost ready to lay eggs, and at that point they will have stopped cheeping months ago. I'm guessing it's a Blue Andalusian.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Photo angle changes appearance of bird tremendously.

While still hunched down and fluffed, it might be a Blue Orpington as you thought. Looks similar to what Meyer Hatchery is selling.

Tail is suspicious, watch and wait as I think this will be a roo.

White wings tips mean nothing as to egg shell color.

LofMc

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Yeah, I considered a Blue Andaulusian as well...but no white earlobe....it's still young, so if its white earlobes appear, I agree Blue Andaulusian.

Not a perfect example of a Blue Orpington, but Meyer has some photos that look similar.

And totally agree with Junebugenna that it would not be cheeping unless it was still pretty young...with red comb and other vocalizations...really indicate roo to me as well.

LofMc

 

[Zapa]

Not familiar with the Blue Andalusian. But after looking at some pics and reading a bit i'm going to 100% agree with that assessment. I was looking at a hint of a beard when i made my guess at green eggs. I think whatever breed gave her her color she's part Easter Egger.
Again i could be wrong and have been before, but i think i'm going to disagree that this a cockerel and stick with my original assessment that it's a strange hen. I'm guessing her age at 6-8 months. But we will wait and see. I will update this post when there is any certainty on sex or anything else.

She acts so weird I'm torn between this bird is fantastic and this bird is a few cards short of a deck.

 

[theoldchick]

Chicken usually stop peeping about 4 months of age. And this youngster appears to be a cockerel at this time. The behavior you describe is typical of a young, confident cockerel. However an occasionally 'manly' pullet will confuse even the most experienced so it will be interesting to see what develops! Keep us updated.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

...or another option...she/he may be ill.

She/he is sitting hunched and huddled in the one photo (could be stress and cold) and is being hazed by the regular flock, eager, even anxious to be away from them and quiet with the smaller chicks.

And she/he is making some odd cooing and whistling sounds. I ignored that once with a new pullet I brought home...thought it was "cute." She too was quiet and "friendly." Hazed by the others I bought from that breeder. Turned out she had Infectious Bronchitis and passed it to my whole flock (she was in isolation, but IB carries easily on the wind).

You really should isolate any new birds for at least 2 weeks, a month being better, to rule out any possible infections.

Just a thought.

Lof Mc