Gender check: 3 mos Olive Egger

[azurbanclucker]

So, any ideas on this OE? 3 mos old today (3/26 hatch). I started making a noise suspiciously like a crow this morning. I know sometimes hens will do that too, so I need a much better educated opinion than mine before I start looking for a home for it.

Help me BYC, you're my only hope.

 

[DakotaDreamer]

Since it has rounded saddle feathers and no visible waddles, I am going to say pullet. I would get a second opinion also though. Hope this helps - good luck

 

[TheWyandotteStripey]

Are it's neck feathers pointed or round? It looks like a hen, it has no curled tail feathers and it's comb is pale but the neck feathers are more accurate as I've been told. hope I helped

 

[azurbanclucker]

I'll see if I can get a better view of head and neck feathers. May take a bit, they're all hiding up under the rose hedges in the heat and I dislike getting poked.

 

[TheWyandotteStripey]

Lol getting poked is not very fun. We have some bushes that grow red berries and look like thick holly trees. Thankfully the chickens aren't happy with being poked either.

 

[RonC]

This sound it was making. Was it a loud pock followed by more rapidly fading out? Does it squat and spread it's wings when you reach down on it? If so it's a hen and you may have eggs under those rose hedges.

 

[azurbanclucker]

Lol getting poked is not very fun. We have some bushes that grow red berries and look like thick holly trees. Thankfully the chickens aren't happy with being poked either.

Pyracantha (firethorn). My sister has one in her back yard and they robins all get drunk eating the berries. Funny to watch.

This sound it was making. Was it a loud pock followed by more rapidly fading out? Does it squat and spread it's wings when you reach down on it? If so it's a hen and you may have eggs under those rose hedges.

I can't get close enough to it to see if it's squatting unless she's in the coop, but at 3 mos, would she be showing signs of laying already? I thought 4-6? The sound she's making is what sounds like a weak crowing with some gurgling as it falls off. She did it a couple times, then stopped.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Since it has rounded saddle feathers and no visible waddles, I am going to say pullet. I would get a second opinion also though. Hope this helps - good luck

As an aside, bearding, which this bird has, suppresses wattle development, so bearded birds of both genders generally lack the wattles most folks associate seeing on chickens. ...they have very small ones that are seen only if you look within the beard feathers

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

At 13 weeks this is significant comb size and color. Gender differentiated saddle and hackle feathers will likely appear in the next couple of weeks, and seem to be starting in the hackle, bird appears to be going through a juvenile mini molt now. I'm leaning cockerel

 

[azurbanclucker]

I'm thinking roo too. Unfortunate, I was looking forward to the green eggs.

Hmm... So if I have him cover my blue laying EE, what are the odds on those hatchlings being OE?