Gender confused orpington? (17 weeks)

[Eika]

Hi all,

Well in all honesty the chicken itself is probably not confused - but I am!

We have 4 orpingtons born new years day this year (17 week old).
One black one is a definite rooster, he's about twice the size of the others and has a gorgeous big wattle (is that the right word? I mean the red thing on top of his head, new to this LOL)
Another 2 are definite hens, they are quite small with not-so-developed wattles.
And the last one I thought was a roo, as his wattle developed at the same speed as the big boy. However he's only about as big as the hens. Is this normal? I wonder if he's remained so small as the black one is dominant or something like that? They have 3 acres to free range and are fed daily so it's not a nutritional issue, he's just quite small. Is it possible he's a hen with an unusually developed wattle, or is he indeed just a small roo? If it helps, I've seen him fighting occasionally with the big roo, as in jumping up and kicking at each other. I assume hens don't do this, so it again suggests he is a boy. I'm quite new to this and before these guys only had pol pullets before.

Advice appreciated! I'll try to put some pics up too

 

[sourland]

Wattles hang down beneath the face. The 'red thing' on top of their heads is called a comb. Hens as well as cockerels will spar and play fight. Does the bird in question have pointed saddle and hackle feathers? If so it too is a cockerel.

 

[debid]

At 17 weeks, the hackle (neck) and saddle (lower back) areas usually look notably different between male and female. Males will have long, skinny, shiny feathers there that females never have. A patterned female can give the look of pointed feathers around the neck but inspecting a single feather will make the difference easier to see.

 

[Eika]

Thank you! He is indeed a rooster - shame as I was looking forward to keeping 'her'.
Useful diagram that!

Eika