Lavender Orpington gender and a mystery pullet

[Hopeful homesteader]

Yes I'm positive, I bought them as 1-3 day old chicks

I got them May 6th so just over 18 weeks now

 

[ShrekDawg]

I got them May 6th so just over 18 weeks now

At 18 weeks I would think it’s a female maybe getting close to point of lay.

 

[Hopeful homesteader]

It could be a pullet with a damaged ovary, which can cause the comb and wattles to get huge like that. I guess time will tell!

What would cause damage to the ovary? Something the chicken is born with?

 

[SourRoses]

How does she/he behave? That's my go-to when confused. But full disclosure, I'm not great at sexing. I've thought from the beginning this is a pullet from the body language. We can't observe her in person though, like you can.

I have two Lavender English Orps who still have me guessing. Big red combs but everything else says pullet. They have a black mottled cockerel to lead them, and he has always been a he, even when he was letting younger chicks snuggle under his floof .
They don't argue with him, seem to depend on him. And they peck at other pullets occasionally over feeding hierarchy, which cockerels don't tend to do to the ladies after a certain age.
The black mottled pullet was clearly female from about two months.
I've noticed a lot of variation between the traits and development of the different colors, it could be that the various lines have divergent enough genetics to throw a wrench in the guessing. On one group I frequent, they listed the onset of lay as 5 months for one color, and 9 for another. That's a big difference! (I realize yours is American so you shouldn't have to wait anything like 9 months, lol)

 

[ColtHandorf]

Yes I'm positive, I bought them as 1-3 day old chicks

Hmmm...

What would cause damage to the ovary? Something the chicken is born with?

Could be disease or just genetic.

@Faraday40 @homeschoolin momma what do y'all think?

 

[Faraday40]

Chicken #1
The lav orp looks male to me. Of course I always recommend keeping until you feel absolutely positive about gender. Mine mature slowly so often no crowing until after 5 months. Because there's another male who is most likely the dominant one, it's very common for the lesser males (in pecking order) to have less testosterone. I mean that literally. You will see slower development with shorter, lighter combs/wattles. When butchering some extra cockerel brothers last year, the alpha boy had larger testicles and the other 2 were half the size. They were the same age, same breed, same flock, & about the same size. It makes a lot of sense if you think about it. The top rooster will do the majority of breeding, so less testosterone will make a more harmonious flock.

Here's a pic of 2 lav orp brothers

Chicken #2
Looks female & blue in color.
Some hatcheries use the term Amerucanas and Easter Eggers interchangeably. It's still possible she's some type of hybrid that will lay blueish colored eggs. OR She could have been mislabeled, so who knows. Enjoy the mystery and anticipation for that 1st egg!

 

[homeschoolin momma]

What do I think? I think I hate sexing lavender chickens. Although this one's feathers are pretty nice.

I also think cockerel, even though there are no definite saddle feathers yet. Although the face itself looks female to me. Orps are painfully slow to mature and I also agree that it may be less mature if there is another male around. It might also be why there is no crowing yet. I have a spitzhauben male right now that never utters a squeak due to being on the bottom of the pecking order. Meanwhile his brothers are running around screaming like banshees.

And of course, time will definitely tell, hold onto this one for now until you are 100% sure. If he's being quiet, there shouldn't be any problems.

 

[Hopeful homesteader]

I appreciate all the advice and opinions, I didn't know Orpingtons were that much slower to develop from others, my blue Orpington from my first flock was actually the first to lay an egg so I assumed they mature right around the same timeline of 5-6 months.
As for temperament it does make me think pullet, doesn't try to flail and get away when I pick it up and will let me touch it sort of like petting and I've never had a male like that before. The squawking recently really makes me wonder, it's the same morning squawk my hens make before they lay an egg and I've never seen any of my cockerels or rooster make this noise. I've had more cockerels than pullets, not an expert by any means but it just doesn't act like a boy to me and idk if that could be just the breed since Orpingtons are more friendly.
I'll definitely hold on to this one and see if it crows or lays and also post pics every few weeks for everyone that wants updates.

 

[Canadian Wind]

I'll definitely hold on to this one and see if it crows or lays and also post pics every few weeks for everyone that wants updates.

What if it does both?

 

[Hopeful homesteader]

What if it does both?

That would be very unusual lol