Do pointed neck feathers always mean roo?

[Kev]

Many EEs have feathers that look pointed because of their coloring but if you lift one individual feather and look at it, you will see that it isn't really pointed at all. That is something that confuses a lot of people looking at EE pictures.

This so many times, after reading the other responses.

People are confusing pointy pattern with pointy shape of feather itself. Several pictures and comments above are good examples of this confusion.

 

[Legend]

Here is another photo (not great quality) but you can see the pointy neck feathers on the nearest chicken but note the body feathers (girlish) and then look at Tiger stood on the bag, he has rounded neck feather but look at his body feathers.

 

[Legend]

This so many times, after reading the other responses.

People are confusing pointy pattern with pointy shape of feather itself. Several pictures and comments above are good examples of this confusion.

Hi I am interested to know if you think I have made this mistake, because I am not sure exactly which feathers on the neck they mean, but taking the pattern out of it, they look round and pointy on the outer edges, I appreciate your feedback

 

[Kev]

but taking the pattern out of it, they look round and pointy on the outer edges

that's exactly it.

It seems some are confusing the black patterning in middle of feather as being the pointy feathers, when it's simply the pattern. Pointy roo feathers refers exactly to the outer edges. Take out a red neck feather from your cockerels in the picture, the outer edge should be different compared to the pullet. Narrower, sharper tip(what we mean by pointy) than on the same neck feather on a pullet.

I like to say super shiny pointy feathers on cockerels but did not add the shiny part in this thread. Before anyone rushes in to argue- Yes, hens can have shiny feathers but it is not the same as the shine on roo feathers.

The qualifier of saying it works best by comparing between birds of the same breed, line, age etc is true but that is kinda silly in adding information that is largely unnecessary. Your pullets have narrower tipped feathers than the average hen of various breeds but that is using an exception to argue with something that is largely true. And still stands as the difference between your pullet and your cockerels in those pictures.

 

[Legend]

I like to say super shiny pointy feathers on cockerels but did not add the shiny part in this thread. Before anyone rushes in to argue- Yes, hens can have shiny feathers but it is not the same as the shine on roo feathers.

I noticed this too, all my roosters anyway have had shiny feathers, it will be interesting to see if they are roosters, going by behaviour alone, I would say yes. I agree that you can't apply all the guidelines to all breeds. I cannot believe how many times I thought the roos were girls when they were younger.