Gender? Before I take the plunge...

[oli]

Ok so the Barred Rock girls(?) have had a gender crisis from the beginning. I thought for sure we had two cockerel's, however looking through pictures here I don't even know anymore. I've seen others hens that have developed bigger/brighter combs at 18 weeks than mine. I still don't see the sharp hackle or saddle feathers, but the 2 in question have different tails and iridescent green in some of their feathers.

Here the two on the left are the ones in question,

Here's one of each.

I'm sure this will jump right off the page, but being my first chicks I want to make sure before I make soup.

Thanks in advance.

 

[ranchhand]

Wow, tough call. I suspect two cockerals, but I can't say for sure!

Wait until they either crow or lay an egg! BR's are wonderful chickens and yours look very nice.

 

[cafarmgirl]

Please don't make soup just yet!

I think they are both pullets. I don't see any pointy, stringy saddle feathers or neck feathers and at this age I think you would be seeing that on the BR roos. I had a couple of BR hens from the same hatch that developed larger, redder combs/wattles sooner then the others. They were all the same age they just developed a little faster and were the first to lay. I also suspected I had a roo or two but they are all laying eggs now! Mine also have tail feathers like yours. And it's also normal to see irridescence (sp?) in the black on their feathers. So I'm voting pullets on both in question.

 

[oli]

Awesome, thanks guys I'm keeping my fingers crossed since I'm in a non-roo friendly town.

 

[vtsarahb]

they are 18 weeks old? I think they're both pullets!

 

[Chicken Fruit]

judging by leg thickness and shank length iam going for pullets. I dont think their combs or wattles are really too big or red, they look very hennish to me.

 

[speckledhen]

Pullets, very female body types.

 

[DianeB]

Definately, they are pullets. My hens had combs that big and red at about 18 weeks or so.

DB

P.S. I would think they would have crowed by now if they were roos.

 

[Mahonri]

Even though the one has a curl in it's tail (the only possible roo) I'm saying pullets for all 4.

Those are VERY nice birds... they don't look like hatchery birds!

 

[oli]

Thanks. They are all from the feed store. Those 2 are just so different from the other 3 that I was just waiting on the first crow.
Now to just be patient and wait on some eggs.