What breed?

[tinajharvey]

Can you help me to identify what sort of chicken this is. Until two weeks ago I though I had a hen but now I am not so sure although he/she has never made any noise. The chicken is around 22 weeks old and I thought she laid a speckldy egg the other day, but I may have been mistaken. Thx

http://s1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/tinajharvey/?action=view&current=blacberry116.jpg

 

[Lordcluck]

I'm afraid to say your doubts over it's gender are well founded. This is a young Legbar / Legbar X Cockerel.

 

[foxy]

I agree, nice cream legbar cross, and maybe a cockerel? 05

 

[tinajharvey]

Would he/she not have crowed by now? Also he/she has not shown any interest in my girls, so is there any chance I have a pretty hen?
I have also read that cockerals have spurs, is that always true ?

 

[Marigold]

Whatever s/he is, this is a beautiful photo - would make an excellent birthday card!

 

[Lordcluck]

Would he/she not have crowed by now? Also he/she has not shown any interest in my girls, so is there any chance I have a pretty hen?
I have also read that cockerals have spurs, is that always true ?

Yes, Most cockerels will be crowing by 22 weeks, but some individuals are Slow off the mark in this respect, and can be slow maturing full stop. The reason I say he is male, is due to his displaying secondary male sex characteristics in his plumage. He has the classic feather development of a young cockerel with long pointed neck and saddle hackle beginning to show, and the tassel-like crest of a Legbar male. A female would show shorter and blunter feather with a more dense and full crest.
He also follows the basic male marking pattern. In this case a Crele ( Cuckoo-Partridge). He shows the male golden neck and saddle, Dark red Wing butts and shoulders, a dark Cuckoo wing bar and breast/underparts, and Bay coloured wing bays. Females show the Partridge-Cuckoo colour pattern with a pale salmon tinted barred breast, pale gold neck lightly laced in dark cuckoo and brownish tippled upper parts also showing barring.
Most cockerels develop spurs as they age, and at this stage these will more likely just show an enlarged, circular scale from which the spur will develop.

 

[tinajharvey]

Oh seems I have a boy. Do you know of any cockeral rescue/ rehoming etc as I will be unable to keep him if he turns out to be noisy. Shame as he's a lovely chicken.