**6-7months old NEED to boy or girl ASAP... (unknown breed)

[Ol Grey Mare]

Still a good chance all are pullets at 5 months, though the sickle feathers on the cockerels may not be as pronounced yet, there'd be visible hackles and pointed saddle feathers on males. At that age the hens are getting ready to lay eggs so their combs turn redder.

x2 - nice looking bunch you have there

 

[mval023]

Thank you everyone for your input....unfortunately, the brown/red one has been trying it on with one of my older hens!! He hasn't even started crowing yet

 

[Griffinsong]

Hmm, that one does have a bigger comb than the rest, and darkish red on the wings, though otherwise looking like a female red sex link. I suspect a gen 2 or more hybrid from sex link lines. After the initial hybridization they no longer breed for sex linked colors so you get males looking like gen 1 hens and opposite, among others.

Guess his hackles/saddle feathers haven't really grown in yet. Would expect them to start showing at this point. If you're sure it is mating behavior and not dominance behavior, that is.

 

[KYTinpusher]

Thank you everyone for your input....unfortunately, the brown/red one has been trying it on with one of my older hens!! He hasn't even started crowing yet

The brown/red one is definitely a pullet. If you have no roosters in the flock it is not uncommon for a hen to take on the role of a rooster. Although it usually would be an older one in the flock, maybe she just has the genes for it.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

The brown/red one is definitely a pullet. If you have no roosters in the flock it is not uncommon for a hen to take on the role of a rooster. Although it usually would be an older one in the flock, maybe she just has the genes for it.

Also, "trying it on" may not be actual attempts at mating but more an issue of a dominant hen asserting her position over the other bird -especially if that other bird is the one she perceives as her biggest competition for the top spot - or, as it is an older hen that is being challenged, an upstart trying to assert herself as the top bird in the flock/stage an uprising

 

[Kasey]

Quote:
Also, "trying it on" may not be actual attempts at mating but more an issue of a dominant hen asserting her position over the other bird -especially if that other bird is the one she perceives as her biggest competition for the top spot - or, as it is an older hen that is being challenged, an upstart trying to assert herself as the top bird in the flock/stage an uprising

X2

 

[mval023]

Funny thing is that one the young one took on is a part Polish (I think) with a gigantic afro so it can't see where it is going sometimes...nevertheless she is the one we have had the longest so if she does actually "see" the others or they get in her way, she does get grumpy at them.

I just got confused because the brown/red one was riding her and kinda doing what looked like the mating act. But then again you guys would know more than me!

I had two Orpingtons also that are about 2 months old....and they were already puffing up the feathers around their neck etc and having a go at each other......one of the white ones from the photos and this red/brown one have a couple of times in the past had similar experience