Barred Rock - Cockerel or Hen? This one is tough..

PrudentPrepper

In the Brooder
Jun 21, 2015
62
9
33
Ozarks
Ok, same story - 14 pullets, one may not be a she. All of my hens are incredibly friendly and come up to me to be pet, this one though stays away and tries to peck me if I get too close. The comb and wattles are pink now, while the other hens have yellow/orange combs.

Here he/she is:







Here are some pics of the other hens:

 
Here are some better pics I just managed to get:

Barred Rock pullet on the left:



Pullet and questionable side by side. Pullet on the left, possible cockerel on the right:


 
I kinda think it's a boy just based off of comb coloring. One way I always looked at with my chicks was the thickness of their legs. The boys had super meaty legs all the time.
It's hard to tell, but also I've had girl ones who peck me like you described too and boys who didn't
 
So, the hens will not produce a red comb/wattle until they are ready to lay? Is that true with all breeds? Or just a general rule?
 
Last edited:
So, the hens will not produce a red comb/wattle until they are ready to lay? Is that true with all breeds? Or just a general rule?

I've been raising chickens for 50 years and have had dozens of breeds and hybrids during that time, and I've never seen an exception to the rule. Pullets combs and wattles don't turn bright red until they are nearly laying age.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom