cockerel or pullet?

[posey]

This is the parents of the biddie in question. Based on their coloring I would never have expected for the offspring to look like it does but I think it is lovely.

Here is the biddie, who I hate to admit that I think is a cockerel, what do you think?
It has lots of extra fluff from the cochin pappa but has the body shape, beard and eye fluff like the EE mamma.
It hatched out on July 1st, so it is 9 weeks old now.
It would not stand still so that I could get really good photo's but here we go, pullet or cocerel?

Here it is with the other 3 hatch mates, 2 of which I know are cockerels for certain, 1 started crowing at 3 weeks.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Looks like hackle feathers around the neck, so I would guess roo.

 

[EMAW]

I am leaning towards Roo.

 

[akcountrygrrl]

That is a common EE hen/pullet pattern. The lacing on the hackle feathers makes them look pointed but I bet if you looked closely at the ends of the feathers you would see they are rounded. My vote is pullet.

 

[chickens are great 12]

hmm thats hard...looks like a pullet, but It could end up being a rooster

 

[teach1rusl]

Are the hackle feathers actually pointy, or is it just an optical illusion and they're actually somewhat rounded? Most of the saddle feathers look rounded, but it looks like there are a few suspicious draping feathers back there too. I haven't helped a bit, have I?? lol The chick is gorgeous!

 

[posey]

Quote:
I hope you are right. I don't have the space to keep separate full grown roos, so all of the cockerels will eventually have to go, so sad.

This hatch gave me 4 biddies: all have the same papa a Birchen Giant Cochin, the mammas are: 1 Welsummer (the pullet that I am sure of is hers), 1 Australorp one of the cockerel boys, 1 Giant Cochin hen - the other cockerel is hers and he is pure cochin, and then this mystery biddie who is part cochin and part EE.

About 3 weeks ago my little crowing cochin cockerel (same hatch as this gray n white one) tried to mount this biddie and it would have nothing of it.

Usually the 2 boys stay together and the pullet and this one are together. However, this one is usually all by it's self, just like it's mamma.
The mamma hen is named Caprice (italian for free spirit) she moves to the sound of a different drummer. Always off by herself but first to come if the rooster calls because he's found a treat.

I am new to EE and love them I do but don't have a roo as an example of what to expect. About what age to the saddle feathers start? This one doesn't seem to have any coming in yet.
Those neck hackle feathers are hard to go by in EE because all of my hens have long slender hackles that "look like roo hackles" but they are clearly hens.

Is it odd for the face to be so pink at 9 weeks? The cockerels are all red with well developed combs and wattles. The little pullet's showing no wattles and her comb is small and yellow but her mamma is a different breed.

 

[chickenjoefan]

my vote is pullet. I have a bunch of crossed hatched about the same time and all the boys have big wattles and combs. the girls combs are varying shade of pink/yellow but there is a distinct lack of wattles.

fingers crossed for you

 

[Mama Kay W]

The feathers look rounded not pointy like roo's would have, I'd vote pullet.

 

[posey]

Quote:
Oh thank you for the hope!!!
I really wanted to keep this little beauty.
I hate to have to get rid of the boys cause they have lovely personalities and they will look nice too

I'll post again in a week or two.