Why is my hen so much bigger than the rest?

[animalluv0512]

I have one silver Wyandotte and four reds. The reds are 5 months old. They are starting to lay. It's so hot here in the south now that the heat is bothering them in not laying but not all are laying yet. Three of them are but one isnt. Anyway I have attached a picture of my hen in question. She is much bigger than all of them even my Wyandotte who is about 3 months older than the chicks. The hen also is much darker than the rest of reds she also has much bigger than the other had much more of a comb than even my wyandotte. She is also the leader or acts like they all folllw her. So my question is why is she so much bigger than the rest of them?

 

[GitaBooks]

She's a he!

Looks like you've got yourself a rooster. Roosters are larger, stand taller, have longer looking legs, have larger and brighter combs, and tend to be the leader of the group.


He's very handsome.

 

[Michael OShay]

She's a he!

Looks like you've got yourself a rooster. Roosters are larger, stand taller, have longer looking legs, have larger and brighter combs, and tend to be the leader of the group.


He's very handsome.

I agree; definitely a cockerel.

 

[animalluv0512]

oh my!... why doesn't he crow??! And thank yall for the input..

 

[Michael OShay]

oh my!... why doesn't he crow??! And thank yall for the input..

You're welcome. Most cockerels will begin crowing from 4-5 months in age, but sometimes they wait considerably longer than that. On rare occasions a cockerel will not begin crowing until he is almost a year old.

 

[animalluv0512]

And one more thing I got them from a farm store and they said they were pullets.. so I guess they got confused! Is he okay eating layer that's what I feed them and give them "treats" of cracked corn and sunflower seess twice a week.. will he be okay?

 

[BantamLover21]

Rooster.

 

[GitaBooks]

I feed my roosters layer and they seem to do fine, especially if they are getting other treats and forage.

 

[Michael OShay]

And one more thing I got them from a farm store and they said they were pullets.. so I guess they got confused! Is he okay eating layer that's what I feed them and give them "treats" of cracked corn and sunflower seess twice a week.. will he be okay?

There are BYC members who say you shouldn't feed layer feed to roosters, but I've always fed my hens layer feed, and when I've had roosters in with the hens, they've eaten the layer feed as well with no ill effects.

 

[animalluv0512]

Thank you!! I will continue to do so I can't afford to buy more feed for him lol.. thank you everyone for your help. I appreciate it. I'm not nearly as confused