Barred Rock Gender Puzzler - Round Two: The Plot/Legs Thicken

[figlette]

I think I might have a gender confused chick on my hands. Colored like a girl, but endowed like a boy.

For a recap of round one:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=145966

And now for round two. In pictures with both Kiwi and Bean, Kiwi (the confused chick) is always on the right. They are 5 weeks old. Here's the point total as I see it.

Leg splash - female
Cankles - male or a rather masculine female
Comb - male or a rather masculine female
Stance - very male
Coloring - pretty female, I think
Attitude - male as she/he lords over the brooder, but we have a Welsummer who acts all rooster, but lays beautiful, albeit smaller than average, brown eggs.

Overall gender winner? I think it is a push.

This picture doesn't show much, but it is pretty cute in a stink eye kind of way.

Thanks for the votes!

 

[LilPeeps]

Although the bird on the right is colored like a female, the comb and wattle development is too pronounced to be a pullet. That bird is a male.

 

[allaboutdemchicks]

Quote:
I agree...no doubt.

 

[walkswithdog]

Man those cankles are a dead give away, if the stink eye wasn't LOL, that bird is going to be a hoot.

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

I had the same question about my barred rocks a few months ago -one seemed more rooish to me. Here's the thread with mine at
7-8 weeks old - there's a great illustration of someone else's pullet & cockerel on the same thread.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=111466

How old are your chicks? I'm guessing about 5 weeks? Because of the dark wash on your chick's legs and its dark feather coloring, I'd guess pullet right now, but you should check back when it is 7-8 weeks and then compare again with the chicks on the above thread.


Edited to add: Both mine did end up to be pullets after all and are now laying nice brown eggs.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

The reason some barred males are lighter than females is that they carry two copies of the barring gene. This gene is sex-linked and females can only have one copy. Males, however, can have either one or two copies. Generally when you breed over generations without outcrossing varieties, eventually most of the males will have two copies of the gene. But it is not guaranteed.

 

[figlette]

Thanks everyone. I have been so suspicious of this chick since about day 3 that I need your impartial eyes. Thanks for the tip about the barred gene. Really good to know. I had been thinking that the darker coloring was indicative of females, but knowing that it takes two to lighten makes me even more sure that Kiwi is actually Kihee.

 

[CovenantCreek]

I'm leaning toward cockerel because of the comb and wattles.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

First question..are you SURE it's a Barred Rock?

If not, are you sure it's NOT a black sex-link male?

 

[BarkerChickens]

I'm gonna guess male, BUT the pic in my avatar is one of my BR hens. It is hard to see, but her comb was already larger and redder at ~6-ish weeks (maybe it was 8...I don't remember). Anyway, she is all girl (she's a great layer of large brown eggs!) Her comb and waddles are not as large as a roos, of course, but definitely bigger than the rest of my BR hens! Some hens are deceptive!

If he is acting roo-ish with those combs and waddles, I'd vote male. His legs look a little thicker than the pullets do as well.