why is my hen acting like a roo at 17 weeks

[Strader]

I removed two roosters from my chicken house and I appear to have a Delaware hen that is acting like a rooster. She is large and does resemble a rooster, but cant tell because all of the (14) CHICKENS are (17) weeks old and none have started laying yet. Here is a pic and the larger one is the one riding the hens. No crowing yet so didn't thin she was a HE? all in photo are the same age.

 

[gardengirl4288]

Looks very roo-ish. My roo didn't crow until 18/19 weeks

 

[hollys chooks]

The difference in size of comb and wattle to the others is looking much like it is a rooster. The angle of photo is difficult to tell, but are some of the tail feathers longer? If so then I would say boy.

 

[Strader]

I had two barred rocks in the pen till a week ago that were the same age. one of the barred rocks was crowing. I gave the two barred rocks to a friend. Weird that one barred rock had been crowing for four weeks and this Delaware hasn't crowed yet. Maybe late bloomer? although the one barred rock hadn't crowed yet. All the chickens I hatched and were the same age. I was hoping for Delaware rooster. Maybe I got one.

 

[Strader]

Yes that angle makes the tail feathers look shorter than they are.

 

[gardengirl4288]

The first roo that was crowing may have been the alpha roo while the other boys didn't need to try as hard because they were sub to the crower. Now that he's gone your Delaware can be a real roo haha.

 

[Strader]

Cool I was praying for a rooster. These came from a good line.

 

[Strader]

sounds right, because I once had a Rhode island rooster that was not the dominate rooster in his original home. there was two other roos where he lived. He didn't crow until I had him in my pen for like 3 weeks. felt as though he was kinda beat down. I had no there roosters and he became the king.

 

[Strader]

Cool thanks for all the info.

 

[gardengirl4288]

Glad you may have gotten the roo you had been hoping for!