5 week old French Copper Marans - Roo or pullet?

[Pcuda]

Here are 3 french copper marans that are 5 weeks old, i'm thinking 'ive got roos but not sure about one. Please help determine gender.

 

[Little Baby Bean]

All are pullets!

Agreed!

 

[Painted Calls]

They are now 7 and a half weeks old and I’m still clueless on their gender, they are all very sweet and if their neck seems stretched it’s because they were alone and looking for their sisters

All pullets.

 

[Pcuda]

Agreed!

Ahhhhh!!! So happy

 

[cherrynberry]

Here are 3 french copper marans that are 5 weeks old, i'm thinking 'ive got roos but not sure about one. Please help determine gender.

Too young, all not screaming cockerel though

 

[Pcuda]

Too young, all not screaming cockerel though

ill post again in 2 or 3 more weeks!

 

[cherrynberry]

ill post again in 2 or 3 more weeks!

I look forward to it! 6-8 weeks is a good start definitely.

 

[bgmathteach]

I have to disagree. I personally have had several pullets with uneven feathering. Posture for me, has never been a good indicator on sex as well. Chicks will stand up tall when looking for their friends as well. Uneven feathering is not a good indicator, because it could be affected by quite a few factors. Such as poor quality food, breed, and living conditions. Without enough protein, chicks can feather in a lot slower and have the "patchy" look. Within separate breeds, some feather in generally slower than others and can have a "patchy" look as well. I know that meat birds often have uneven feathering because of the way they were bred as well. Lavender orphingtons also tend to have a "shredded" look to them. I am not saying that the OP has poor quality feed or anything. Its just that if feather quality could be altered by several factors that have nothing to do with gender, it does not seem to be realiable to me.

I based my response on the following:

Regarding Pcuda's: They are all in the same environment, the same breed, and eating the same food.

Generally speaking, males feather in more patchy than females of the same breed. (I raised 6 different breeds with pullet & cockerel mixed this spring: Cornish X, Dark Cornish, Buff Orpington, Americana, Astralorps, and Welsummers - in all of them but the buff orp., (of which I only had 1 male because it was supposed to be pullets for them), there was a clear difference/more patchy feathering in the males.

You are correct that it isn't definitive...either...but to me (again, pictures, not video to actually watch behavior), it just says 'Roo!' My buff that is a boy (about 7 weeks now), my first indication that it might not be a pullet was his behavior.

I'ld love it if we get an update! Sometimes you never know until it crows! I had a neighbor who swore a specific chicken was a hen. She got rid of all but one roo (she hatched her own, so lots of them) when they were 6-7 months old. Well, turns out one of the 'hens' was a bottom of the pecking order roo, and posed as a hen. With all the competition gone, he flourished. Got 'roo' plumage, comb and wattles grew...etc.

 

[Pcuda]

They are now 7 and a half weeks old and I’m still clueless on their gender, they are all very sweet and if their neck seems stretched it’s because they were alone and looking for their sisters

 

[Pcuda]

They are now 7 and a half weeks old and I’m still clueless on their gender, they are all very sweet and if their neck seems stretched it’s because they were alone and looking for their sisters

@cherrynberry