Barred Rocks - Long tail pullet? Or late comb, dark rooster?

[sarahmacdougall]

Okay, I promise this is the last time I'll ask! I posted on here about two weeks ago and everyone thought my PBR lovelies were girls. But I can't get past this girl's tail and every time I see her I think "you are so a boy!" - though everything else says "girl". The first one is of her sister

 

[donrae]

Pretty sure they're all females. How old?

 

[sarahmacdougall]

They are 18 weeks now. They were from a batch (hatch?) that were all really dark.

 

[donrae]

Oh yeah, at that age they're definitely all ladies

 

[littlegreywolf]

Pullets.

 

[AmyLM]

That tail says roo to me too. The comb says hen. What about her heckle and saddle feathers? Thin and pointed or short and round?

 

[sarahmacdougall]

The neck feathers are quite thin and sort of spike out when she/he gets annoyed. I can't see any saddle feathers, though there are some skinny little feathers there, but they seem to be where the feather has frayed in two at the end. She's always been the grouchy stand-offish chicken and so much bigger and with that tail I always thought she might be a roo. My friend traded her's back to the farm because of the tails. I've held on in the hope she is going to lay eggs one day and so many experts on here have said lady.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I agree with pullets. The tails are funky, but a lot of utility rocks have less than perfect tails.

I'm not seeing saddle feathers nor spiky hackles, and the combs at 18 weeks are all girl.

I don't think you'll get a surprise rooster. Eggs should be coming in another month or so.

LofMc

 

[sarahmacdougall]

Thanks so much for your opinions. I'm so glad they're going to be egg layers, I would hate to have had to take them back, I've grown attached to her! I love her tail too, an extra pretty lady I think! Winter has just started for proper here (New Zealand) so we might not get eggs till spring? Thanks again!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Thanks so much for your opinions. I'm so glad they're going to be egg layers, I would hate to have had to take them back, I've grown attached to her! I love her tail too, an extra pretty lady I think! Winter has just started for proper here (New Zealand) so we might not get eggs till spring? Thanks again!

Then yes, if daylight is below 12 hours, you won't get eggs until daylight reaches 12 hours again (to start hormones), laying occurs regularly once daylight is 14 hours.

You can add lighting to your coop to get laying in winter if you desire; however, you will still get a delay as lighting has to be added to keep the hours at 14, and that would have been in your March or so???

LofMc