Buff Orpington sexing

[csgibbs]

I have 31 Buff Orpington chicks that are 9 weeks old. I purchased them as pullets with the thought that a couple of them would still be cockerels and I was hoping for at least 1. Within the last week most of them have sprouted little wattles and their combs have turned pinkish, but there aren't any that have a huge difference in comb size. What I have noticed is a few of them have more pointed feathers and are darker and some have rounded/fluffy feathers still. Is there any significance to this? The bottom bird on the first picture seems to have harsher lines and pointier feathers.

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[Michael OShay]

I don't see anything screaming rooster with the birds in your pics at this point. However if some of the combs and wattles of your Orpingtons start reddening up over the next 2-3 weeks, you'll know you have some cockerels.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

x2

My best indication with BO's is the size of comb and wattles.

Even the pullets can get spiky hackle feathers, and almost pointy looking feathers in places...but the rooster will get the true streamers on the saddle. Unfortunately, that often doesn't happen until about 4 to 5 months, if not later for the saddle feathers. Late developing roo's is a common occurrence with Buff Orps.

I've also had precocious females with larger redder comb/wattles..they also laid earlier.

All to say, I'm not seeing anything roo-ish yet....but Buff Orps can be a bit harder. Patience is best. There is still hope one may turn out to be a roo, but if not, you truly got what you paid for and what the seller claimed. Go back and ask him for a rooster

LofMc

 

[drumstick diva]

they look neutral to me - not leaning one way or another- give them a few more weeks.

 

[BantamLover21]

I don't see anything screaming rooster with the birds in your pics at this point. However if some of the combs and wattles of your Orpingtons start reddening up over the next 2-3 weeks, you'll know you have some cockerels.

Agreed

 

[Free Feather]

If they are nine weeks old and look like the chick in the face shot, they are girls.

 

[kidcody]

My guess, they would be a pullets at this age...good luck, they both are beautiful! Nothing as beautiful as a Buff Orpington!

 

[csgibbs]

Thank you all for your help. I have a few that have reddening starting from the outline of their face and wattles, but their combs are still pale. Is it normal for faces of pullets to darken from the outside edges? I'll get a better picture tomorrow, but you can kind of see how the outline is in this picture. Some of them are actually pretty dark.

 

[junebuggena]

Wattles and face will turn red when a chick is excited or stressed. It's normal, and doesn't mean a chick is a male.

 

[Michael OShay]

Wattles and face will turn red when a chick is excited or stressed. It's normal, and doesn't mean a chick is a male.

X2 on junebuggena's post.