5 months old and still confused!

[HennyPenny44]

Ok, I have had chickens for over 4 years so you’d think I would have this sexing thing figured out by now. I adopted 4 chicks from Tractor Supply 5 months ago. One is already laying, one is getting ready to, one was taken by a fox recently and then I have this black sex link. At least, that’s what the bin said. She has not started crowing nor squatting for me like my other pullets, has a visibly large comb and is taller than all my other hens. She was just now hovering over one of her friends as they attempted to lay their first egg, and she’s always last in the coop. I see some rooster like feathering on the tail but not sure about sickle feathers. Please advise me about this perplexing chicken!

 

[SchwartzLakeFarmNC]

I understand your dilemma on this one.
Sure looks like a Cockerel to me, but I'm hoping others will chime and tell me that I'm 100% wrong.

 

[Party_Chicken]

I understand your dilemma on this one.
Sure looks like a Cockerel to me, but I'm hoping others will chime and tell me that I'm 100% wrong.

Nope 100% right. Definitely a cockerel.

 

[JedJackson]

It is a black sex link cockerel. Female black sex links look completely different. They have no barring and are mostly black with varying amounts of red/brown at the front of their bodies. As chicks, male sex links will have white spots on the backs of their heads due to having the barring gene. Female sex link chicks will not have head spots. This is just so you know what to look for in the future if you buy black sex link chicks.

 

[fluffycrow]

×3

 

[HennyPenny44]

Thanks for all the replies! I guess I’ll be waiting for the crow because s/he hasn’t let one out yet and is taking a long time!

 

[JedJackson]

I looked closer at the pictures and now I'm more confused than before. I see no male specific feathering and though the comb and wattles are really large, they are within the realm of possibility for a 5 month old females. So I'm think this could be a female but if so it is not a black sex link.

 

[HennyPenny44]

I looked closer at the pictures and now I'm more confused than before. I see no male specific feathering and though the comb and wattles are really large, they are within the realm of possibility for a 5 month old females. So I'm think this could be a female but if so it is not a black sex link.

I looked closer at the feathers around the neck and they look shiny. The black on the barring is actually a blue/green black. I’ve been “crowing” at him/her hoping I hear something. By this age, the 2 other cockerels I had were definitely crowing and chasing the girls while pulling out their feathers. Perhaps he’s a gentleman to the ladies! Now that I’ve begged the question, I bet he’ll start crowing soon!

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

I’d say cockerel, but honestly I’m not completely sure. Do you have a photo of him/her next to your confirmed pullets, so we can see the size difference?

 

[thlayli]

I don't see any male traits on that chicken. I'd say pullet, but if it is then it definitely isn't a sex link.