Lavender Orpington Sexing

[YellowRoseFarm]

Hi, all!

I've posted about Chonk in another forum, tracking the growth of my farm store LOs from McMurray Hatchery. I wasn't initially going to get LOs (because of the shredder gene) but these poor babies looked so pitiful and stressed (one had splay leg, one had pasty butt) that I just had to take them home. All 4 are from the straight-run bin, and I'm certain 2 are roosters. In the photo of all 4, Steve is the roo on the ground, Storm is the roo standing up to the left. I'm also 95% certain that one is a hen and her name is Lola. They're all now 12 weeks old, and Steve is crowing.

There's only one wildcard - Chonk. Chonky was the largest chick of all 4, but had the tiniest wings (think: dodo bird). Chonk's development has been significantly behind the rest but his/her comb is now looking more like the hen - lighter than the dudes, smaller wattles. So, I put this to you fine folks for an opinion on the matter. Note: these birds have an impressive amount of shredding. Steve and Lola look the best, but poor Chonk and Stormy look like they've been through a hurricane.

 

[Party_Chicken]

All cockerels.

 

[YellowRoseFarm]

Well, that's a bummer.

 

[BastyPutt]

In the picture of 4, hard to tell with the one with its head down, but the other 3 look like cockerels. If the first pic is of the one with its head down, then all 4 are cockerels.

Straight run bins of birds like this are going to be mainly cockerels. Never a safe pic unless you are going for broilers.

 

[Tookie]

Two are definitely cockerels.

In the second picture the one in the back left looks like a pullet unless its just the angle, the one in the back to the right of that one I feel could go either way...

 

[YellowRoseFarm]

The one on the back right, standing up, is the one I thought was a pullet. The head's down one is the one in question, and it's sounding like he's a dude. I've never had this much trouble figuring it out at this age, but the shredding is affecting how pointed their feathers are. So, I'm left looking at their combs, wattles, legs, etc. Steve made it easy. He's the only one crowing.

 

[Tookie]

The one on the back right, standing up, is the one I thought was a pullet.

I still think it could be one...I feel like it just looks like a girl.
Could be totally wrong though.

The head's down one is the one in question, and it's sounding like he's a dude.

Could you get another picture of him/her?

 

[YellowRoseFarm]

The head's down one is the single bird in the photos at the top of the post, but I can get more if it helps.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

All of them look like cockerels with their sickles and saddles, but shredder gene is a tricky gene to look past.

 

[Tookie]

The head's down one is the single bird in the photos at the top of the post, but I can get more if it helps.

Oh, okay.
Man, they can be tricky.