Buff Orpington: Hen or Roo??

[LilChickCoop]

I think Freckles is about 5-7 months old.... not quite sure about gender. We had another BO that was much smaller, but she died last night

(RIP Poppy)

Close Up

Sitting on Top of the Coop

Trying to get Freckles to Pose for a Pic- Won't Sit Still!!

 

[ChIck3n]

Looks like a hen (pullet) to me! At that age, a rooster should be crowing and would have noticeable hackle and sickle feathers.

 

[LilChickCoop]

New to the whole chicken thing.... hackle feathers/ sickle feathers?

 

[Goose and Fig]

I agree- looks like a pullet. Is she wet in one of the pics?
The saddle feathers are back by the tail. Ross would have long, pointy, shiny feathers there by now. Plus her comb isn't that big.

 

[Muggsmagee]

Hen...for sure. The hackle feathers are the neck feathers. They are longer in males. You know the quote "Don't get your hackles up?". Chickens raise those feathers when they are angry...more so in roosters about to fight. Shows the other one "how big" he is!

 

[LilChickCoop]

No she's (I guess I can call her a she) not wet, but the ground where she was scratching around was.....
Also, I notice when she is on the ground, she scratches out an area to sit and then pulls the dirt up around her with her beak.... is this a sign that she may be laying soon?

 

[goldeneggtees]

She may be ready to lay soon but when she gets on the ground and "dust bathes" it's just to clean herself.

Quote:

 

[ChIck3n]

Quote:
Hackle feathers are the ones on the neck (usually longer, more pointed, and distinct in males), and sickle feathers are the big long curved feathers in the tails of roosters.

 

[Schultz]

She is definetly a hen ... or pullet rather, and she could quite possibly lay you an egg very soon. All of our Buff Orps started laying almost right at 6 months. Some a little earlier, some a little later.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Pullet.