BSL Roo or Hen?

[kamac27]

This chick is a 9 weeks old BSL pullet purchased from TSC. She was very slow to grow and feather from the start. She had the traditional female BSL markings at a few days old. But now her feather colors are not as pronounced as the other 2 BSL chicks and she has more red around her face than any of the others, but still a small comb. What do you think??!

 

[ashlierami]

Hen

 

[Better Than Rubies]

I understand your puzzlement. My young BSL pullet is really red in the face, too, and got light red and a nice-sized comb at an early age... She, too, is somewhat slow growing, especially her feathers! She took the longest to feather out fully (like a cockerel tends to), and during that time--unlike the others who had soft plumage--hers was very rough to the touch, but she's now older and soft like a normal chicken, lol.
Yours is a pullet, as the cockerels' feathers would be barred--not black like that. I am surprised that she doesn't have more brown, but, not being 'bred to standard,' then the amount of brown does vary (mine has a LOT of brown, and one of my neighbors got BSL pullets that all look like mine with a lot of the brown, whereas another neighbor has two mature BSL hens...one with a lot of brown, and one without as much).

 

[kamac27]

Thanks! Her feathers are also kind of rough compared to the others. I have 2 other BSL that have beautiful bold brown feathering around their necks and soft feathers. This one seems like an oddball but I love her the red in her face had me concerned since none of my older chicks are so pronounced.

 

[kamac27]

My other BSL photobombing, has much bolder color around her neck.

 

[Gray Farms]

Pullet. Cockerels are a totally different pattern.

 

[Better Than Rubies]

Aww... You have lovely girls! I understand why you were concerned, though!
Here's a picture of my BSL, Superchick, as a (possibly) two-day old chick, when I first got her:

Now here's a picture just to show how short her wings were, when Emma's, my Production Red about her age, wings were already pretty much the length of her body (and Superchick also took a long time before getting a tail).

Then here she is, older, and where she's beginning to get a lot of brown:

And here she is currently (a little over 11-weeks old):

 

[bellium]

i have a similar pullet, also obtained from TSC’s BSL bin, and i’ve been reading on the forum that many people who took home this breed from TSC this season have asian black chicks, not BSL. here’s my girl.

 

[drumstick diva]

pullet, BSL males have barring