Is there a way to tell a pullet from a hen?

We bought our first chickens just over a week ago. 4 rhode island red hens, 10...what appear to be cinnamon queen hens..
I know now that when you move chickens to a new home it tends to stress them and they may not lay for a while. We do have 1 or 2 reds that have been laying.

My question is, is there anyway to tell if the cinnamons i bought might have been pullets rather than hens aside from waiting?

You can take an educated guess by measuring the space between the pelvic bones with you fingers and the distance between the keel and vent...

Google or search the forum for specific instructions, it's not fool proof but it might give you an idea...

Pullets are hens, just younger - generally under a year old. I think you are wondering if you have pullets or cockerels. Cockerels are young males, again under a year of age, and at that time they are called roosters. To me it's not that big a deal, hen, pullet, rooster, cockerel - one's a male and ones' a female.

Cinnamon Queens are pretty much the same as Red Sex Links or Golden Comets, etc. Depends on the hatchery they came from what propriatory name they give them, depending on the birds used to produce them. But in general, the girls will be reddish in color with some white in the wing tips and/or tail feathers. The boys will be mostly white with reddish areas.


Two pullets, Red Sex Links, at about 8 months old


Charlie, the Red Sex Link cockerel at about 5 months old.

Aaaand re-reading your post I think I misunderstood your question completely, so if I did forgive me. I'm old, and easily confused. <sigh> I'll leave the photos up just in case that was your question, but I think @MeepBeep nailed the answer better than I did.

No, I was just wondering if they were even old enough to lay eggs yet since none of those had done so or if they were still possibly adjusting to their new home. I did not know that pullets were hens that whare under a year though! Thank you! Thank you both!

ajdegroat417 said:

No, I was just wondering if they were even old enough to lay eggs yet since none of those had done so or if they were still possibly adjusting to their new home. I did not know that pullets were hens that whare under a year though! Thank you! Thank you both!

Click to expand...

You are so very welcome! Hope I didn't complicate things for you by not answering your question accurately. I have a bad habit of doing that. Change in environment can certainly cause some birds to stop laying for a bit, so relax, enjoy a little "chicken TV" and get to know them while they get to know you!

And Welcome to BYC