[joolz68]

Hi,in july we got 2 white sussex pullets :)a few week later we went back and fetch sid(our cockrel) who was part of the trio package but at the time we got the pullets we  wasnt sure our neighbours would like a cockrel around anyway all 3 are very happy,peggi has always had an unsteady walk,never forages and used to rest a lot when we 1st got her,the other pullet started laying and is regular now peggi to my knowledge has never been near a nest box unless its to sleep at night,peggi doesnt use the roost bar i think because of the leg problems.
Peggi throws her head backward a lot..almost touches her back!,strange behaviour that i dont understand ?also opens her beak but nothing comes out?but if a hen has a go at her or when sid used to try and back her she sounds like a goose 
She is as tall as sid now and her feathers are changing  she seems to have evolved in the last 2 week into the looks of a cockrel to me ? ...but sid lets her groom him and both her and nancy are his favourites,she follows him around most of the day 
Here 2 pics i took today of her/him,could anybody shed some light on peggi please?thanks julie x

[Sparkyrog]

The wattles look far more like those of a cockerel IMO !

[joolz68]

I know sparky..they have grown so fast! Her/his comb was a lot paler but i thought that was because it of its legs problem and apart from a few longer tail feathers(which did fall out) there wasnt a lot of differance in the 2 pullets,i had my suspicions but folks that looked at her said she wasnt a cockrel and theyd had chickens for yrs and even checked her legs out 
This was taken mid aug,peggi at the back..

[Sparkyrog]

I see no sign of spurs though or is that the photo ?

[joolz68]

No,no spurs...yet   the behaviour worrys me thou,throwing its head back that far
Sid isnt bothered if it is a cockrel,which i read they fight? and he has tried to back it in the past so i think he is as confused as me as to what peggi is 

[joyfull]

I think Peggi looks like a young male too - the neck and saddle feathers seem to indicate this.
As for spurs these can come later - I even have a female (she does lay eggs) that has 2 inch long spurs so spurs mean nothing.
You run the risk of fighting next spring when Peggi realises she is a he.
One of my araucanas was over 9 months when she started to become a he 

[joolz68]

Thanks joyfull,sid was trying to catch peggi again this morning(she/he can run fast!)..im dreading the day sid realises
No idea what to do with peggi,with the legs being a problem i probably wont be able to rehome peggi as a serving cockrel and i couldnt cull for sure.
Ive seen pics of game hens with spurs bigger than sids! 
It has upset me aswell about peggi,you get fond of them because your sold them as pullets, i allowed myself to think she would be around a couple of yrs
Are there cockrel rescue places? cheers julie x

[joyfull]

If peggi does turn out to be a boy then you could try Beegal to see if he will take him in.

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=78027.0

The adult male will try it on with him until he starts to crow and you run the risk of fighting once Peggi tries to mate with your girl.

[Sassy]

If the breeders you got him/her from had guaranteed you 2 hens and cockerel - the ususal trio package - then you could return her. If they agreed you should be able to introduce a single hen relatively easily with a cockerel to keep the peace. However, you would need to be aware that the breeders may cull him/her due to the leg problem and being a cockerel!

[joolz68]

If peggi does turn out to be a boy then you could try Beegal to see if he will take him in.

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=78027.0

The adult male will try it on with him until he starts to crow and you run the risk of fighting once Peggi tries to mate with your girl.

Thanks joyfull thats put my mind at ease 

If the breeders you got him/her from had guaranteed you 2 hens and cockerel - the ususal trio package - then you could return her. If they agreed you should be able to introduce a single hen relatively easily with a cockerel to keep the peace. However, you would need to be aware that the breeders may cull him/her due to the leg problem and being a cockerel!

I could take peggi back sassy but i know it will get culled,that was why we went back for sid,he told us sid would be gone at the end of the season x

[Sassy]

Come next spring you are likely to have a problem with only one hen to a cockerel. She will get too much attention and is likely to suffer injury of some sort. I had problems with 3 hens to a cockerel. sorry

[joolz68]

Come next spring you are likely to have a problem with only one hen to a cockerel. She will get too much attention and is likely to suffer injury of some sort. I had problems with 3 hens to a cockerel. sorry

Hi sassy,there are 10 hens plus peggi in the run with sid plus i also have another 4 pullets to move in when their  old enough

[Sassy]

Well it sounds as though he is going to be a very happy cockerel!

[joolz68]

Sid cant keep up sassy
Good news is that we managed to rehome peggi and the 2 other young cockrels today ,a nice 6 acre field with a great view in wessington 

[Sassy]

Brilliant. Its not easy to re-home cockerels