Blue Buff Columbian Orpington - hen or roo?

[Dschwartz75]

One of our flock is confounding us a bit, and I'm hoping those with more experience can help us out. We added multiple birds to our flock this past Spring, including a Blue Buff Columbian Orpington named "Buffy", and we're not sure if Buffy is a roo or a hen. Let me outline the conundrum:

Why we think Buffy might be a hen:

1. We think she's laid a couple of eggs for us (our other hens from this batch are laying currently) but haven't observed Buffy in a nesting box or laying,
2. No spurs as yet,
3. Low in the pecking order, especially by our two "matronly birds" who are about 8.5 years old,
4. No observed mating/attempted mating,
5. Our Ameracauna hen took 2 full seasons to begin laying, and so sporadic laying might just be a "thing".

Why we think Buffy could be a roo:

1. Sporadic crowing - usually 6 crows in the morning and a 2-3 times during the rest of the day,
2. Buffy's HUGE - significantly taller and wider than even our Jersey Giant or our Gold Wyandotte (in the background of a pic below),
3. Hackle feathers might be stringy and tailfeathers might be sickle-shaped, but as our first Orp, not sure if this is typical for the breed. See pics below,
4. Breeder we got Buffy determines sex by behavior rather than physical inspection - so only a guess.

It's probably worth saying here that we view our little flock as pets that just happen to give us eggs, and the person we got our latest flock from takes back roosters. We love Buffy, and if a roo, would be happy to keep him around unless he starts going after the girls or crowing incessantly.

Thoughts from more experienced keepers or breeders?

 

[HappyClucker7]

Definitely a cockerel.

 

[Painted Calls]

Absolute cockerel.

 

[Dschwartz75]

Absolute cockerel.

"Absolute Cockerel" would also be a good band name, I think.

 

[Painted Calls]

"Absolute Cockerel" would also be a good band name, I think.

Heavy metal band.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Utterly a boy.

 

[ladybrasa]

"Absolute Cockerel" would also be a good band name, I think

I would be inclined to buy “Absolut Cockerel” ...

 

[Painted Calls]

I would be inclined to buy “Absolut Cockerel” ...

Is that better than Grey Goose?

 

[BlueBaby]

It's a cockerel, and your egg's should be fertile by him if you wanted to hatch some. Just because you haven't caught them in the act of mating, it doesn't mean that they haven't.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

He is a gorgeous rooster!