The Bantam of the Opera Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 I bought my 3 bantams 2 weeks ago and was told they are definately all girls however my big sis read up about chickens and thinks that one of them is a boy. He does look quite manly, he has a bigger tail than my other two bantams and it looks like he has spurs that were cut off. havent heard him crow but he stood up to mrs. weasly and they had a big fight. dont know if this is any indication. . im pretty clueless all round really. is there any way to sex a chicken for definite. we havent heard him crow though. Here he is: if he is a boy and starts crowing ill have to get rid of him which i wouldnt want to do because he is such a lovely chicken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 does his comb go far back on his head? he does look rather boyish.....but it is hard to tell isnt it?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bantam of the Opera Posted September 19, 2007 Author Share Posted September 19, 2007 Yeah its quite far back, the other two bantams havent even got combs yet and i think theyre all about the same age, although narcissa still "peeps" instead of clucking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 just been reading up on another site. Differences to spot between a cockerel and hen - cockerel - bigger comb and wattles and a young rooster will develop a comb before a hen. Sturdy long legs tail - stumpy and curved a male will begin to act "manly" and voice will change from chirping to attempting to crow a cockerel will stand alert and tall a trick is to sail something light past their head with your hands and watch their reactions - the cockerel will immediately stand elert and erect with their heads upright and a peculiar chirping sound if its a hen it will crouch and remain silent !!! maybe give it a try? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bantam of the Opera Posted September 19, 2007 Author Share Posted September 19, 2007 oo sounds good, thanks i shalltry that. he stad up alert and trying to look menacing to mrs. weasly but she does it back so i guess tahts not really conclusive evidence. if he is a cockerel is he a non crowing one or do you tihkn he just doesnt know how yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 if he is a cockerel (fingers crossed its a she ), he will more than likely crow. I dont have personal experience of keeping a cockerel. Maybe it takes a few weeks/months for a cockerel to get his full crowing voice? Maybe some cockerel breeds are louder than others too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 (edited) just showed hubby, and he thinks its a cockerel, the developed comb (before your hens) and the feathers around its neck. please dont take my word for it though..... wait and see - you'll soon know! Edited September 19, 2007 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbieboy Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 Definately female I've no idea about that big white budgie though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bantam of the Opera Posted September 19, 2007 Author Share Posted September 19, 2007 lool hmm, oh i hope it is a girl , oh well, can only keep my fingers crossed and hope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bantam of the Opera Posted September 19, 2007 Author Share Posted September 19, 2007 thanks very much for your help, i just thought he might be a boy because i heard a strangled cry from his run this morning, it sounded like he was practicing. maybe my neighbours wont mind if hes quite, he's only tiny so i cant imagine he will be too noisy. also, do they always crow in teh morning or just when they go outside because he didnt crow till like 10 and by taht time my neighbours were already out at work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 Cockerels have more pointy feathers, hens feathers are rounder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bantam of the Opera Posted September 19, 2007 Author Share Posted September 19, 2007 oo i didnt know that, this one has pointy feathers on its neck and afew near its tail but teh rest of its feathers are round. does that tell me anything? hmm, i wish it was as simple as telling which sex humans are I've got a few more pics of him ill upload Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bantam of the Opera Posted September 19, 2007 Author Share Posted September 19, 2007 more piccysss: So as you can see he is a very pretty chicken and it would be a shame to have to give him back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 (edited) Sorry Jem, looks like a boy to me Rab Edited September 19, 2007 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeckyBoo Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 Hi there, I think it's a girl, the tail doesn't lok particularly flamboyant (big word for this time of night!!) We have a Leghorn who I was convinced was a boy for all the same reasons, had a very upright comb, upright tail, just strutted around really looking "manly" and did everything bar cock a doodle do. But she was just a gobby female in the end. If you hold their wings out, at the "join" where you would clip their wings, I was told that if the short feathers were rounded not pointy then it was almost certainly a girl. Eventually ours laid an egg which sorted our question once and for all, what breed is yours? maybe some hens are just more "masculine" than others? Good luck Mrs B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 Does look rather boyish to me too! Re the crowing - you could try your luck and keep him until someone notices The house at the back of our garden has hens with a cockerel, but I think he must be quite young as he just sounds like a dogs squeaky toy at the moment And he only tends to crow during the day so never bothers anyone. Good luck with him - he is a good looker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bantam of the Opera Posted September 20, 2007 Author Share Posted September 20, 2007 i think lucius finally answered the question for me, i definately heard him learning to cfow this morning when i let him out. he is a bantams orpington so it wasnt very loud, will it get alot louder do you think? he wasnt very good either, like a teenager with his voice breaking. but he only started trying to crow when i let him out so maybe if i left them in the eglu till about 9 when i leave for college, my neighbours woulda left by then and maybe they wont notice? i really dont want to get rid of him, hes lovely and i cant deal with introducing more chickens, im terrible at it. we could only hear him crowing when we went outside, couldnt hear it over the tv, maybe my neighbours wont either. eeek worried Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 They crow all day I'm afraid....not just at daybreak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 The hackle feathers in the first picture are pointy, which means he's a boy I'm afraid. And yes, the strangled sounds you hear are him starting to crow - my two 3 month old boys have just started. If he's only a youngster, his spurs haven't been cut off, they just start as buds. I hope you have a quiet one that you can keep. If he's the only cockeral in the area, you might get away with it because he'll have no-one else to compete with. Usually, when one starts crowing, the others nearby start too - the competition can go on all day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovemychooks Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 I've got a cockerel and they crow all day !! He'll keep the other two in check and you might even be lucky enough to have chicks one day !! Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallina Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 That's a boy.... Look at those wattles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 Def a boy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 I think it's a he. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisHapp Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 deffo looks like a boy to me! As someone else has just posted, it was the wattles that cried out 'BOY'!! to me! He looks lovely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...