How old are my Buff Orpingtons?

[Sapphirea]

I purchased 2 female Buff Orpingtons that are supposedly 8 weeks old from a regular individual. I was looking at other 8 week olds online and all of those seem a lot bigger and more feathered than mine. Are mine actually younger? I am starting to wonder if I got ripped off since the 4 week old prices were lower.

 

[CityCraft]

Those chicks do not look 8 wks old at all. I'd say more like 4 or 5.

 

[Bill 101]

It's pretty hard to tell, because individual lines mature at different rates, but I would GUESS them to be 4, maybe 5 weeks old. I also think (again a GUESS) they are cockerels (males)

 

[Sapphirea]

What makes you believe that they are males? Ugggh, I'm pretty upset that I drove so far to get the exact opposite of what I wanted.

 

[mtnviewfarms]

Sorry but I routinely hatch and grow out chicks and have raised lots of Buffs. Those two cute chicks
are only about 4-5 weeks of age - either that or they have been undernourished - i.e., not fed the
appropriate starter/grower crumbles. I also believe them to be cockerels. Their 'body style', how they are standing and the prominence and dark red coloring in the comb area.

Buff pullets, at least all that I've grown out thus far, are nearly 14 weeks of age when you can see any
growth at all in the comb area and then it is nearly white to very, very pale pink and not red as these two.

Sorry. We've all been 'chicken newbies' at one time and experience is a difficult teacher, keep learning and do your 'chicken homework' next time before purchasing.

 

[LVchicks]

I have 4 BO chicks. They are 6 weeks old today. Your chicks look like mine did a week or two ago. Mine are also supposedly pullets and none of them have ANY pink or red in their combs. Two have almost no comb at all the other two have a little comb but it has no color at all.
So sorry you were misled. When My internet is back to normal I'll be uploading a pic of my favorite BO and you can compare her to yours.

 

[LVchicks]

This is Violet. She is a 6 week old BO pullet.

 

[Sapphirea]

I am excited to announce that the "male" orpingtons were indeed females, just like the seller had stated. I just discovered this egg from one of my Orps tonight! (The one closest to camera) Laying at 19 weeks old, I thought that's unheard of for an Orpington? I'm super happy and relieved that I kept them.

 

[JanetS]

Yay!! Sometimes it can be so hard to know. We thought we might also have a rooster until she laid her egg.