Why does my rooster squat?

[KikiLeigh02]

20 weeks would still be considered an early layer for most breeds. Are you sure she doesn't have a nest hidden somewhere? I'm sure you could find a nice home for her where she can be with other birds.

 

[MickWithChicks]

Haha. I think it's unanimous, he's definitely a she!

Once you find her nest and are convinced, I agree with @KikiLeigh02 that you should find her a new home with other birds. She's a lucky girl to not have been culled, and it'll be great for her to live a wonderful life in someone's backyard flock!

 

[Frazzemrat1]

At this age, here is your biggest clue. There are absolutely no rooster plumage on that bird. Nor a rooster stance.

ETA: I just went back to look at the pics again, just to make sure, and realized I'd already posted the pic. Regardless... Your chicken has no male saddle feathers. At all. The rounded ones over the rump are the female version and males are incapable of growing them. Their genetic makeup makes it so they HAVE to grow the pointed flowy ones. Genetically, females HAVE to grow the rounded fluffy ones. Its just part of being a chicken. Think of it as the chicken version of facial hair vs no facial hair.

As to size, genetics is a strange thing, and your girl ended up big. I mean, my sister is 5'6" and her husband is 5'7". Their daughter is 14 and pushing 6'. I think she's about 5'10" or so? Where did that come from?! I mean, I know where, due to knowing the genetic background of my family, but if you didn't know my father was 6'2" you could look at their family and be very surprised.

 

[aart]

I’m still not totally convinced, are there other defining features that are clear male or female? I find it really strange that he/she doesn’t look like all the other hens, and with the size, she should be producing for sure.

Since you have hybrids, it's probably just a wonky mix, thus the difference in size of bird and comb. Tho like someone else mentioned, having the thousands(38,000?) of birds that you do, it's strange that you've never had an oddball before.

 

[RodNTN]

I’m still not totally convinced, are there other defining features that are clear male or female? I find it really strange that he/she doesn’t look like all the other hens, and with the size, she should be producing for sure. I may bring a hen around and see if he tries anything. I can’t return him to the flock since our flock is certified organic, if he’s been off our certified property he can’t be put back in (technically we’re supposed to put him down). I’ve never heard him crow, but none of our previous roosters have dared to do that either.

I agree with @aart, it may just be the oddball of the group. But please do tell us if you get an egg or a crow from this oddball

 

[RodNTN]

After looking at the picture again, it does have facial features that resemble that of a rooster. Its comb, wattles, and earlobes look like it would belong to a rooster also. But the body is a hens body.

 

[ButteCA]

I know how this is. I’ve had a couple hens I thought were going to be Roos because they had larger combs than the others but wow she’s got some serious flare. She is beautiful. On the contrary my sister has had roosters that don’t necessarily look like roosters as well. You know what to do though wait for a crow or an egg.I had a Silkie chicken that I swore was a young rooster until it layed an egg.

 

[ButteCA]

The feathers are hard to argue with though. It definitely looks like a hen to me.

 

[Thechickenchick2]

View attachment 1442857 He’s a Hyline Brown. All of our hens have squatted since 20 weeks old approx, when they began laying. We could barely catch him though until just recently since he’s tamed down a lot.

She looks just like my RSL hens but def with larger ear lobes, wattles and comb... any spurs? I’d assume if it were a he there would be at least something there?

 

[BrindleFinch]

If it is some sort of genetic mutation (malformed sexual/egg organs, any number of things really), then this chicken may never crow OR lay an egg, and there will be no definitive answer.

The only thing I could imagine is having the chicken DNA tested, but where could one even do that?

I would have a vet check them over. If the vet finds that the chicken can't lay eggs, what's the issue with having it rejoin the flock? It can't mess up your "organic," eggs... and the poor thing is probably really lonely on its own.

If you really really can't return them to the flock, at least consider having someone who knows the whole situation (unable to sex, no eggs, no crow, etc) take them to add to a pet flock. Some people don't care if their chickens ever lay - they'd be very happy in a home like that, I'd think!