Getting Orpingtons! Need Advice!

[PrincessLayer16]

Hey all!!

We have a chance to get 2 orpington chicks tomorrow. There are multiple chicks to choose from, but hubby said just 2 more chickens lol. (We already have 15 lol) Eek!!
They are straight run and about 3 weeks old. We want pullets, but I know at this age it's difficult to tell. However, for those of you that have/breed them, are there any indicators at this age that we can be on the lookout for when choosing them?
We have an orpington already, but we got her at 16 weeks, so I'm not sure!
Any advice is greatly appreciated!!!

 

[Party_Chicken]

Hens will be more feathered in and will have longer wings. Roosters will be less featherd in and they will have shorter wings and a pinker comb.

 

[PrincessLayer16]

Hens will be more feathered in and will have longer wings. Roosters will be less featherd in and they will have shorter wings and a pinker comb.

Awesome. Thank you so so much!!

 

[PrincessLayer16]

Awesome. Thank you so so much!!

Does this apply to tail feathers, too?

 

[Party_Chicken]

Does this apply to tail feathers, too?

Yes. This is not a 100 percent way to sex chicks but it should help

 

[PrincessLayer16]

Yes. This is not a 100 percent way to sex chicks but it should help

I really appreciate the tips! I know its not 100 percent, but if it helps us at all making a decision then it's valuable. I've got 2 kiddos and we lost one hen to a dog attack and one chick, as well. So, I'm hoping these new babies help them deal with the loss.

 

[Party_Chicken]

I really appreciate the tips! I know its not 100 percent, but if it helps us at all making a decision then it's valuable. I've got 2 kiddos and we lost one hen to a dog attack and one chick, as well. So, I'm hoping these new babies help them deal with the loss.

We lost three hens to a fox so we got some more babies they really help

 

[SourRoses]

3 is better for the chicks, and my minimum when rehoming under 3 months old.
Anyway, are these American bred Orpingtons or English?
With English I've found it extremely hard to tell. Except for the feet and legs being large. But I had 2 smaller boys surprise me because they had smaller feet compared to the giant keeper, lol.
Generally, females of any breed will act meeker and hide, and boys will be braver. But that's no sure thing. I have a sassy Ameraucana pullet who defies that stereotype every day, lol.

 

[PrincessLayer16]

We lost three hens to a fox so we got some more babies they really help

I'm so sorry for your loss!! It's so difficult losing them! They are not just chickens, they are pets.

We lost three hens to a fox so we got some more babies they really help

3 is better for the chicks, and my minimum when rehoming under 3 months old.
Anyway, are these American bred Orpingtons or English?
With English I've found it extremely hard to tell. Except for the feet and legs being large. But I had 2 smaller boys surprise me because they had smaller feet compared to the giant keeper, lol.
Generally, females of any breed will act meeker and hide, and boys will be braver. But that's no sure thing. I have a sassy Ameraucana pullet who defies that stereotype every day, lol.

We do already have 3 week old Easter Eggers in the brooder, so after some separation, they will have a group of similar aged buddies.
I'm not really sure about American or English bred. There is a picture of some of the parents, however, I didn't even think to ask that.
Thank you for all the advice! We have a super sassy barred rock, and she is my favorite. Lol. So, I totally know how that is!

 

[kurby22]

I’d say definitely choose the ones with the smallest amount of comb possible. I haven’t found feathering to be consistent, but mine have been early comb growers with tails that come in rather slow. This is a pic of my rooster at 3ish weeks old.