20 wk old Araucana - Pullet or Cockerel??? (pics)

[pestenz]

I have a 20 week old Araucana "hen", and there has been crowing the last couple of mornings! The hen was sold to me as female by a reputable breeder at 14 weeks of age. The crowing is a bit croaky though, and stopped when I let them out at 6am.

I believe Araucanas are difficult to sex, but surely it would be quite obvious that it is a rooster at 20 weeks, right?
There are no spurs, and not a huge comb/wattle (i attach pictures).

Our flock is made of of 4 hens only.

Please advise if it's just a confused hen (it's quite a bossy chicken - flapping wings when let out to roam, puffing feathers, chasing the other chickens, agressively jumping on other chickens (not mating though), etc), or maybe hormonal imbalance?
Or is it really a rooster/cockerel??

(It's a UK-type Araucana, so not a rumpless variety. I live in New Zealand)

Physically it looks like a pullet to me (though larger than the other chickens, but Araucanas grow quite fast i believe).
I can't see anything physically that looks like a cockerel (no saddle feathers, or hackle feathers)?

If it's a hen, what can i do to stop this behaviour?

 

[Free Feather]

Whatever he/she is, that chicken does not look too happy.

 

[BantamLover21]

Looks like a rooster to me.

 

[Michael OShay]

Looks like a rooster to me.

I agree. He has what appears to be in the pic the beginnings of a rooster's hackle feathers. Also, if he's crowing, it's a virtual certainty he's a rooster. While there are rare cases of hens crowing, it's almost always a hen that is more than 2 years old that has taken over the role of the rooster in a roosterless flock.

 

[pestenz]

It was pecked quite badly at the breeder, i got it with missing tail feathers at age 14 weeks. It has recovered nicely, though i wonder if that is the reason for the aggressive behaviour...

 

[krista74]

My initial thoughts are that it is a rooster too. I can see the beginnings of saddle feathers forming in the first and third pictures, but not being familiar with the breed I wasn't sure.

I am sticking with my first instinct and voting "Rooster" on this one.

As @Michael OShay says, crowing (in very rare circumstances) can occur in hens, but it is highly unusual. The aggressive behaviour, on the other hand, is probably a young cockerel who's hormones are flowing, looking to exert his dominance.

I'm sorry. I think it's male.

- Krista

 

[donrae]

That is a rooster. You can clearly see saddle feathers. Plus, well, the crowing.

 

[pestenz]

Whatever he/she is, that chicken does not look too happy.

It was pecked quite badly at the breeder, i got it with missing tail feathers at age 14 weeks. It has recovered nicely, i figured that was the reason for the aggressive behaviour...

 

[pestenz]

Thanks everyone, it seems unanimous it's a cockerel...
I am trying to re-home him now, hopefully will find a nice free range spot for him with nice owners. :-(

 

[Wyandottes7]

Rooster.