15-week old hen or a roo?

[Tesumph]

The saddle and hackles feathers that indicate a rooster don't show up until the bird is closer to maturity - 5, maybe 6 months old (depending on whether it's an early maturing breed or a late one).

Well that’s just plain wrong. Most roosters should have some saddle feathers by 3 months.

Here was my two old boys at 16 weeks, RIR and light Brahma. Note the very obvious pointy saddle feathering. You’ve got a pullet who’s close to laying.

 

[Jmom4]

This is awesome! You guys made my day! I get to keep my favorite hen and may get some eggs two months early! Thanks for your help everyone!

 

[Hyper_Chicken05]

It would be great if it were a pullet. I’d feel like I’d lost a friend if roo hormones kicked in and it wasn’t as friendly.

What do you mean by precocious pullet? She has been very vocal lately, just hanging next to me and kind of muttering so to speak.

Even the most aggressive roosters can be taught to respect and behave, I wouldn’t worry about too hormones, If he starts showing signs of aggression don’t kill or get rid of him, Teach him. But u probably won’t have this problem because that looks like a hen.

 

[kklowell]

If it were a Roo I'd expect some crowing by now. One of the babies I got in March started attempting to grow at just two or three months old. It was a scary sound, not even close to a decent crowing sound, but it was obvious that the attempt was being made.

 

[Jmom4]

I hear you about keeping a rooster, if my kids were older I’d definitely keep even a grumpy roo. Problem is I have 4-year-old triplets and a 6-year-old and they are a force in their own right, (that are getting better, but they adore the flock) so until the kids can contain themselves, I can’t risk a rooster, but I go back on forth on that all the time too because Pat is everyones favorite. If he was a roo we were going to wait and see how he acted.

 

[Golden Brahma 64]

Well that’s just plain wrong. Most roosters should have some saddle feathers by 3 months.

Here was my two old boys at 16 weeks, RIR and light Brahma. Note the very obvious pointy saddle feathering. You’ve got a pullet who’s close to laying.
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(depending on whether it's an early maturing breed or a late one).

 

[AAchicks]

Do you know the breed? And at what age did you get it?

 

[Jmom4]

Do you know the breed? And at what age did you get it?

I don’t know the breed. It was an extra. I thought it was an Easter egger because it had chipmunk pattern as a day-old chick like the other Easter Eggers, but I just plainly don’t know the breed. But within a couple of weeks it was clearly larger than all the others.

 

[Jmom4]

Do you know the breed? And at what age did you get it?

Here’s Baby Pat. She was a really pretty chick. This is when I started to suspect it was a roo

 

[AAchicks]

I don’t know the breed. It was an extra. I thought it was an Easter egger because it had chipmunk pattern as a day-old chick like the other Easter Eggers, but I just plainly don’t know the breed. But within a couple of weeks it was clearly larger than all the others.

There are some breeds that even the pullets will develop the large comb and wattles. Leghorn is a great example of this. So, without knowing the breed and the fact that at this age there is zero male feathering, I think you can feel confident it is a pullet.