Four Week Old Buff Orp - Too Soon?

[oceanwidedesigns]

We got these ladies back on the 11th of May, and the feed store said they were probably a week old. It's the Buff Oprington I'm worried about - we didn't plan on getting her, but my mother in law insisted I couldn't get all black australorpes and needed more color to my flock.

When I got home... I learned that orps are hard to sex that young, even though the hatchery and feed store sexed it a pullet.

For pictures from the last few weeks... they're in my flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/oceanwidedesigns/collections/72157626583003083/

Here's some from today - they're in the tiny box because my husband was cleaning out the brooder for them. Is it too soon to tell? The photos are kind of over exposed on her/him... sorry about that, I seriously had only a minute to steal the shots.


3+ Weeks Old by Ocean Wide Designs, on Flickr


3+ Weeks Old by Ocean Wide Designs, on Flickr


3+ Weeks Old by Ocean Wide Designs, on Flickr


3+ Weeks Old by Ocean Wide Designs, on Flickr


3+ Weeks Old by Ocean Wide Designs, on Flickr

 

[Chickenrandomness]

thats definitly a roo. when my mix bantam roo was that age, his comb was about the same size:

 

[SuperChiks]

I have a 4 week old Buff Orpington and she has absolutely no comb or wattles. Sorry ...thats a Roo

 

[mljohnson05]

Sorry dear but that Really looks like a ROO !

 

[AUChick9202]

Quote:
x2

 

[I-Have-Happy-Hens]

I think they all look like roosters

 

[HatchingFever]

The buff and the other austlorp llok like boys the one in the middle looks kind of girly

 

[SunnyCalifornia]

Well, I'm going to try to be positive here,

The Orp; the redness is a bit suspect. Orp hens do get decent sized combs, but they don't usually turn red that early...maybe its the exposure on your camera?? Okay.. maybe not... Let you MIL know that you have a very nice gift waiting for her.

The Australorps; They have good tail growth.... and I'm learning that roos tend to develop feathers and tails later than hens....and your Australorps have better tails than the Orp, so I'll guess pullets on those.

If I can dig up some pics of my Austrlorp hens when they were that age, I'll post 'm for you.

Edit: I found some pics of mine. They are 4 months old here... Black Australorps, and Buff Orps, ALL hens. As you can see, there is certainly variance in combs. Don't be too worried yet, let them grow out for a while.

 

[oceanwidedesigns]

Thanks everyone

The buff orp - his/her comb turned red that morning, it had been yellow and hardly noticeable until the 20th. Selma, the slightly larger australorp, just barely started showing a comb the last two days. But I'm not too worried bc Selma had the exact same feather growth as Patty, the one who looks feminine because of her white face. They look just like they should from all of my searching.
Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Belt Hatchery screwed up and sent the feed store a box of cockerels instead of pullets... I haven't been hearing good things about their care for service lately.

I'm going to still hold out on the orpington, simply because I've been going through the forum and looking at pictures and it really appears there's a huge variance in comb growth for orpingtons, and supposedly their breed develops at a different rate? Idk. I do have a home in the foothills lined up for the roos at the first crow!

 

[colster10000]

i used to work at a hatchery and sorry but the comb has NOTHING to do with the sex at the hatcheries breeding farm i saw hens with longer combs than the roos but they are all hens to me on account of the feather growth