Am I a Buff Orpington Pullet? Or a sneaky cockerel? - Added Photos

[Yay Chicks!]

Oh gosh. I'm pretty new, but I would want to see the whole body before pronouncing roo. Any crowing? My BO pullet definitely has a bigger, brighter comb than your bird on the right. Check out the BO thread with all the pictures. There are some girls on there with pretty good combs, but the roo's combs are much larger.

 

[NonnasBabies]

I won't say whether it is or isn't a roo. Personally I think it's a pullet. I have 26 pullets ranging from 20 weeks old to 24 weeks old. In the last weeks or so one of my RIR and black australorp has developed combs that big & red. My Barred rocks did the same thing last year some all of a sudden developed big combs & waddles and some stayed small for another month or so. I truly believe you'd have known way before now if one was a roo!! Just my opinion!!

Missi

BTW is that one mounting the others??? My roo that just turned 20 weeks has been mounting his pullets for a few weeks now!! Just something to think about!!

 

[jeslewmazer]

I'm not saying that it is not a roo, but judging just from the comb is not always a good way to go. Hens can have large red combs too. Really red when they are laying. How do the tail, saddle, and hackle look?

 

[jennh]

Quote:
Give him time, he will crow!

Jen

 

[Tala]

Well in the OP it was stated that the comb just got big and red in the past two weeks, after the birds were near 5 months of age. I'd say it's a hen that's coming in to lay, because roos get combs quite early (6 weeks) and always have them, while hens are the ones who grow a comb "overnight" when they are about to lay.

I'm gonna vote pullet, but I think we need a full body pic, legs, tail, saddle feathers, etc. to know for sure.

 

[Firebomb_k]

If it wasn't dark out I would go out and take a pic of my buff roo's so you can compare what a real roo looks like.....

I say both pullets just one turned term sooner.

 

[ekemily]

I have buff rock girls that are around 23 weeks old. The ones that are laying are the ones that look like roosters! I wouldn't judge a chick by its comb. I'd wait for something really obvious, like crowing!

 

[LuckyStroll]

I'm pretty new, but I would want to see the whole body before pronouncing roo. Any crowing?

No crowing yet... I will have to get a full body shot tomorrow, they were not being too cooperative this evening.

I'm not saying that it is not a roo, but judging just from the comb is not always a good way to go. Hens can have large red combs too. Really red when they are laying. How do the tail, saddle, and hackle look?

Being so new to chickens, I don't feel like I could really give a good full body description, but her butt feathers, for lack of a better term, have always been more pronounced than her "sister's".

Since there is no clear cut consensus I'll just have to take some better photos of them tomorrow. One other behavioral thing though. (S)he has always been the friendliest chicken, nice and content to be picked up & petted, etc. Today, she pecked both me & my mom on the hand and got me on the back of my leg while I was leaving the coop. She left a bruise! She was also making a strange, angry, almost growl-like sound. But, no aggression towards the other girls and, if anything, the sex-link has been picking on her

I just don't know what to think!​

 

[dolly85]

You have have a pair! Roosters can take months before they start to crow. My four month old Cochin isn't yet crowing, and my two buff orpington males who are 3 months are not crowing either. My littly tiny d'uccles crow like crazy though!!!! Those little guys started at 2 months.

 

[dirtsaver]

We have five Buff Orps that are 19 weeks old. One is sure to be a roo,one is yet to be decided and three have been laying eggs for a week now. Of the three known layers,two of them have combs and wattles as big or bigger than that on your bird. The other layer looks more like your other bird.

After following hundreds of posts on here about "is this a hen or a roo" and seeing so many varying opinions I finally learned that you can't tell if it's a hen or not until she gives you eggs.

Larry