Lavender Orpington: Roo or Pullet?

[pevins]

I have a 4.5 week old lavender Orpington! Comb and wattle has turned pink. Is it safe to assume he/she is a Roo or is it too early?

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

It’s too early to confirm cockerel, but I’m certainly leaning that way with that comb…

 

[pevins]

It’s too early to confirm cockerel, but I’m certainly leaning that way with that comb…

That’s what I was thinking! I’m getting mixed answers but I guess I’ll have to wait a few more weeks.
Thank you

 

[goodwiab]

Any answers yet? I have one who looks very similar at 4 weeks

 

[pevins]

Any answers yet? I have one who looks very similar at 4 weeks

Still unknown! I’m leaning towards roo but I’ve brought her/him to swaps and they were all conflicted! It wasn’t the comb or wattles that made it confusing, but it was the legs!

 

[Pukkits]

Here are our lavenders this year. 1 is a rooster, 5 is a hen. Ours may not be the best example, as they grew so absurdly fast I'm not sure the feed store actually got purebreds from the hatchery. I've never had layer chicks grow so fast. They are still significantly larger than our chocolate orpingtons that are only a week younger, now at ten and eleven weeks. The hens are now growing their adult combs in. I'd not write this young one off yet as a roo, but from tail and body posture I'd guess rooster.

If you can't keep roosters, I was able to find local homes that wanted my accidental roosters. While lavenders are getting more common, they are still rare enough that people with breeding programs were happy to take my boys.

 

[Pukkits]

To add, we did have one confusing rooster that had a very hen type body but he had the big comb. It took a few extra weeks to be sure. It took me a few weeks to find homes for them, so I had time. I kept hoping it was an early combing hen.

 

[pevins]

Here are our lavenders this year. 1 is a rooster, 5 is a hen. Ours may not be the best example, as they grew so absurdly fast I'm not sure the feed store actually got purebreds from the hatchery. I've never had layer chicks grow so fast. They are still significantly larger than our chocolate orpingtons that are only a week younger, now at ten and eleven weeks. The hens are now growing their adult combs in. I'd not write this young one off yet as a roo, but from tail and body posture I'd guess rooster.

If you can't keep roosters, I was able to find local homes that wanted my accidental roosters. While lavenders are getting more common, they are still rare enough that people with breeding programs were happy to take my boys. View attachment 4119361View attachment 4119363

I am definitely waiting it out! Yours was the best example I seen online, thank you!

My coworker has 4 lavenders and she said the one with the smallest comb/yellow was a roo and the ones with the red comb and wattles ended up being hens. Overall, sexing Orpingtons have been the most difficult for me!