Rooster, or Hen?

We’ve been waiting for a couple of months now to determine whether the Rhode Island Red chicken we bought at the end of January is, in fact, a hen. She was sold to us as a hen, but we always wondered. Last weekend he heard a distinctively different sound from the chicken coop and wondered if this was in fact the moment of truth: a proto crow? But no, nothing since.

So, here is a list of observations that make us suspect that “Rose” is either Rooster, or Hen:

• She has never laid an egg. Not very conclusive! But if we had an egg, we could rule out Roo :). Since we purchased her as a 30 week hen, by now she’s going on for … 38 weeks or so. Basically 9 months. That’s quite old! But not unheard of for a RIR to start laying.
• She walks like a hen – not upright like a rooster, but runs skittishly around the coop and is the lowest in the pecking order. She is a submissive and easily spooked chicken! None of this behaviour seems much like a rooster, who is supposed to be protective of the flock.
• She has no tail feathers, but is starting to grow some. They look a little droopy, like a rooster would have, and glossy black. We think this might be a more definitive sign of being a rooster. It’s happening slowly, though!
• It looks very much like she is developing saddle feathers (those at the back of her body, before her tail). That’s a Roo-thing.
• She has a nice red wattle and comb, and yet she isn’t laying. Apparently that’s also quite a rooster-y characteristic.
• She’s a big ‘un! Very tall, and her legs are stocky, strong. But she’s not plump sideways like our really big hens have been.
• She has lumpier spur lumps than the other hens (check out that picture above … not much there). Given the size of her feet, though, that could just be a size thing. So far, no obvious spur development going on.
• Her neck feathers are starting to look long and swishy – like a rooster plume. But she doesn’t puff her neck feathers out at anyone.
• She once gave a hairy eye to another chicken (maybe twice) and we’ve never seen that before between our hens. Apparently a rooster will puff out the neck feathers when facing off like this. She didn’t …
• She doesn’t crow … yet. Our boss-hen Raven used to crow for a few months, but always sounded like a loud hen. Sometimes they do this after they get an upset (it was right after another hen had died, and a Brush Turkey came stomping on their coop). But a RIR rooster can start crowing at about 11 weeks … so … ??? Maybe if she’s a he, he’s just not dominant enough to crow.
• Most RIR roosters will be showing decidedly male characteristics (the pretty tail, crowing, spur development) by twenty weeks. We’re at double that now, and still not sure … so. Hen?

Rose, floppy tail feathers; big wattle / comb

Harriet, firm tail and smaller comb / wattle

Totally puzzled on this one. It’s very annoying to have to return a rooster and exchange for a hen – we will need to introduce two new hens at once, and we are attached to our odd little Rose. Matilda and Rose are BFF at the moment. So sweet! And yet … to be raising someone else’s rooster for them is a bit galling too! And we aren’t getting any eggs from her, meantime … *sigh*.

The competition: Matilda, and ‘Rose’

Rose is slightly more upright here than Harriet, but then again, she’s jumping out the door.

More floppy tail feathers, mercifully in focus

Rose, being chased off by Harriet

I think I might have to shoot this one out onto the Backyard Chickens forum. So far my best guess is that we have a Rooster who thinks he’s a Hen. Trans-gender chookie? What’s your guess?

Update: It’s unanimous! The folks at Backyard Chickens say it’s a “he”.