Chickens know something I don't?

[Sara Ranch]

I *thought* I knew their genders, but the behaviors of the entire flock (with regarding to one of these special chickens) is confusing me... (go figure! When don't the chickens do something that makes me smile or wonder??)

These are Buff Orpingtons, 19 weeks old.

Image 3392 - this is the one chicken's behavior and the flocks that confuses me. Is the gender male or female?

Image 3389 - same chicken, different view.

Image 3388 - two chickens, rear end views. Genders?

Image 3386 - same two chickens, side views. Genders?

Image 3387 - chicken from previous pictures (image 3392).

Image 3391 - chicken from previous pictures (image 3392).

 

[sannabelle]

All of them look like pullets to me! Do you have a closer picture of the darker chicken?

 

[Sara Ranch]

Sure. I just posted a thread about the darker chicken. She's a cross between RIR and Golden Comet. She's at least 3-4 months old. Wondering when she will start laying...

Just wondering about the Buffs.

Here's another Buff I have. Same age. I'm confident that she is a girl.

HUGE difference in coloring and size of comb and waddles.

Ya think the Buff in image 3392 & 3386 are pullets?

 

[Gray Farms]

Both of the Buff Orpingtons in the first pictures are cockerels.

 

[sannabelle]

I must be crazy- sorry! Didn't see any saddle feathers

 

[drumstick diva]

agree with Gray Farms

 

[Lady of McCamley]

x3
You can see the curling sickle feathers and start of saddle with the Buff Orp in the top photo...which stated is the same bird. Rooster. Sorry.

LofMc

 

[ChickNanny13]

4x BO #3392 & #3389 = cockerels
BO #3385 = pullet

These are my 4 BO pullets @ 18wks, thinking they're pullets, right?

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

X5

 

[Sara Ranch]

Image 3392 - I thought was a cockerel. First to develop/mature with a comb and a waddle. Name - Red Comb.

Image 3388 - Red Comb and Peach Comb. Peach Comb was the second of these three buffs to develop a comb and a waddle, although he was much slower to do so.

Image 3383 - Brownie - a pullet. She still hasn't really developed a comb or a waddle.

Brownie gets mated with often.

Red Comb gets mated with OFTEN. Like every single cockerel goes after Red Comb, except for Peach Comb. Immediately. Forget Brownie. Forget the other 11 pullets in the flock. It's always Red Comb for MATING. Not dominance, not for a game of tag, but regular mating. And occasionally a bachelor will get into the pasture and he always goes for Red Comb. Not dominance, not for a game of tag, but regular mating. *** This is what confused me. Has me wondering if the cockerels know something I don't?? ***

(I have several rooster flocks, so I have seen the chase/get on top for dominance and the mating bit.)

I've seen Red Comb attempt mating a pullet once. Not to say it hasn't happened other times. He was quickly discouraged and chased off by the girl's boyfriend.

Peach Comb had a few interested attempts but always outran those cockerels trying to mate with him.

From the backside, all three (Red Comb, Peach Comb, and Brownie) are different looking. Red Comb seems to be in the middle ground of the three from the side and from the back.

**** Yes ChickNannie13 -- based on the coloring and size of the comb and the waddle, I'm thinking pullets. My BO Brownie looks very similar.