Hoping this is a Plymouth Rock Pullet, opinions please!

[Yay Chicks!]

Pullet - because of the darker barring and because of the black stripe down the front of the legs and just overall carriage. She looks like mine did at that age.

 

[speckledhen]

Here is a little blip for you since a picture is worth 1000 words. Your chick is probably a BR pullet, IF, IF it's pure. If not, well, you see this chick? You'd say BR pullet, yes? Well, guess what? It is not. This is a Silver Phoenix x BR cross cockerel. Has one barring gene, black on leg fronts. There were four chicks of that cross in a batch we hatched here, accidental crosses. There was one pullet, a beautiful solid black girl. This is why I am not 100% sure on your chick. If it had no red in the comb at this young age, I'd be sure.
Most folks wouldn't notice that the barring was really odd on the Phoenix/BR boy since we have had such awful hatchery BRs, but the off barring, the longer than normal tail and the red comb at four or five weeks old were clues that something wasn't right.

Their sister, Raven:

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

That's a Pullet For Sure!

 

[Plucky Pullet]

OH boy this is going to be fun to figure out.
Speckledhen your boy looks very similar to Speckles except the grey on Speckles legs is only down the front. I am hoping for a girl I really really want to be able to keep Speckles, especially with a such a unique story of I obtained her/him.
I guess its just the waiting game now

 

[shandiane78]

I vote girl.

 

[speckledhen]

Well, I vote girl because Heather needs Speckles to be a girl. Crossing fingers for that, Heather!

 

[GrandmaAnn]

I'm going to go with a pullet also. Like someone said IF it is a purebred, I think it is a pullet because of the dark coloring and legs, but also because of the shorter neck. Seems to me that a BR cockerel has a longer neck by this age - which I think is about 4-5 weeks. You'll know for sure in about 3 weeks. With this being the only chick, you can't judge by behavior.

 

[frizzlefritz]

turn a chick upside down.... if it stops kicking then its a pullet if it keeps kicking its a cockeral, but it is an old wives tale so dont put a 100% hope in the results

 

[Plucky Pullet]

Cynthia is right this chick really needs to be a girl! I really really like Speckles (and so do my kids). So I am hoping that general consensus is right and I do indeed have a pullet. During the exam by the vet Speckles was turned several time from front to back to check for other injuries, as well as the fact it is easier to check the legs when they are on their back (I have to do this daily from the injury) and there has never been so much as an extra peep from this baby. I know right now its the waiting game but lets hope that since 1; general consensus states Speckles is a pullet 2; complete submission when turned upsidedown 3; dark grey down the front of both legs & 4; the barring is not uniform. I am crossing my fingers and hoping for a baby girl LOL

 

[StormyMoon]

This has always confused me about the Plymouth Barred Rocks too......

I read so much on them but watching speckledhens threads I have been learning a little but still confused. Especially with the yellow vs skin color legs, and then the line down the front of the leg usually indicates female. So far that worked for me when picking my BR I lucked out I guess when I chose 3 dark chickens and 1 light is what I told the man when i was choosing them lol....I had no idea there was a difference or even how to tell if I was getting all girls or all boys.

I just wanted chickens..

I tried again to get another rooster cause i lost mine and ended up with pullets using the same method when they were almost feathered at 5 weeks. Grr its frustrating...when you want roos you get pullets and when you want pullets you get roos. I think what I got may have been a cross they just didnt look like my other BR's Their body was all different. I finally got real BR roo from a breeder and he is growing up really nice.

Is there a way to get a better picture of your chickens legs?


At this age it should have the dark line. If it is a True BR it will have the black line down the leg right ? Is that True Speckledhen?

Here you can really see the difference in the color

Here you can see the difference in the baring

Here they are a little older

close up of my roo same age in picture above

The 3 girls are now big and laying eggs

This is why I think the Chick in question is a Pullet based on what I have seen. I am however still new to chickens. I feel the Comb would be a little more defined based on how much feathering the chick has compared to the feathering on mine. I noticed my boy took longer to feather out than my girls. Just my opinion