Pointy Tail Feathers?

[grandiose]

Do pointy tail feathers always make it a Roo? I've got some of my chicks (that were all purchased as pullets) that have grown these nice pointy tail feathers.....I will be pretty upset if half of my little flock turns out to be Roos!!!

This was a few weeks ago...and I dont have any pictures of this ones tail because all of its tail feathers are rounded...but it is the "leader" of the flock, was the first to get any red in the comb, the first to get any hint of waddles (and they are all much larger now!) and has the biggest comb...but the tail feathers are rounded?? This was my first "suspected Roo" though....and I still have my doubts that its a Pullet...

The rest are from about 2 weeks ago...I can try to catch them and take new pictures, but not much change other than getting redder and bigger combs, some growing waddles, and more feathers coming in. I havent seen any pointy feathers on the bodies of any of the chicks (they are all a little over 2 months old now, btw...about 2.5 months old)...but they are still growing and getting their adult feathers in.

Another suspected Roo: (sorry, cell phone pictures of little chickens who have no desire to sit still!!)

Another suspected Roo:

Another suspected Roo:

Will try to get better pictures later....

Also, how do you tell spur growth? Been checking them every other day or so, but they all have a little bump there, although it seems like on some, that little bump is getting bigger and on others it has not moved.

 

[Blue]

The top one and the bottom one are the only 2 that scream roo to me. The 2nd one looks like a pullet, and the 3rd one does have some red at the comb base, so it may be a roo, too. It's too early to tell by their tail feathers.

In answer to your question, the pointy feathers you're thinking of are called saddle feathers and hackle feathers. Saddle feathers are the long pointy feathers that fall around the side of a rooster's back at the base of the tail, and hackles are his pointy neck feathers. They don't develop until much later, say 11 weeks and older.

Not the best example, but the pointy feathers falling around the base of his tail are the saddle feathers, and notice how his neck feathers are longer and pointier than the hen's. The rooster in this picture was about 12 weeks old at the time (give or take). The easiest way I've found to tell the gender fairly early on is by the comb size and color, as well as the size of the wattles. This may not apply to you, but in some varieties, the roosters and hens will feather in differently (in the case of the 2 pictured, the male had gold shoulder blades, while the female only had gold on her chest).

As for spurs, you probably won't notice any growth in them until around 6 months.

 

[Aria]

We have ONLY Silkies and NO heavy tail feathers. We purchase a chick for a person we did not know (NEVER AGAIN) and the chick was a ROOSTER and it had heavy tail feathers.

I suspect this was not a pure bread Silkie. I think it was a mix. Definitely did NOT look like any of our other Silkies. We found this rooster a new home. We do NOT want to have mixes.
Aria

 

[Blue]

Quote:
Completely off topic, but the rooster in your avatar looks exactly like a silkie roo I used to have. He's cute!

 

[Aria]

Blue, Thanks. He is handsome. He is red with a tiny white and large back PUFF and a few
black in his tail. SMOOTH. He is loveable and friendly. We call him Ruscello. Aria

 

[DirtCreature]

one looks like a roo, 2 and 3 look like pullets to me and 4 idk...

 

[maxxsmommy]

1 definitely roo, 2 pullet, 3 pullet and 4 im not definitely sure but it look rooish!!

 

[chickenlovefever]

If you look on their back, around their saddle, if the feathers are pointy there they will be roosters. these feathers will become future saddle feathers. I am pretty sure this works because it has worked for me and a friend of mine who breeds.

 

[grandiose]

Some new photos...the Whites were all super uncooperative today, so no new pictures of them...

Chicken Little (who is the first chicken posted on the initial post as well) - I've been pretty certain he is a Roo for a few weeks now...

Vulture (the black posted in the initial post....the comb was black two weeks ago, now its turning reddish - Vulture is fairly uncooperative as well, hard to get decent pictures of!)

And one of the Reds...this is a different one than posted in the initial post...is this a normal pullet comb? For a chick who is about 2.5 months old (10/11 weeks?)

And, for fun...everyone waiting for their daily scratch treat ....