Need opinions on gender of mystery Meyer cookie and cream chick!

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

I would love anybodys opinion on the gender of my Meyer hatchery cookies and cream chick! I ordered her as a sexed pullet. Her comb is much more pink than any other chicks comb, yet she’s the lowest in the chick pecking order and doesn’t exhibit any rooster behaviors.

Here she is, she is about 9 weeks old now. It seems like the Meyer cookie and cream is mixed with a mottled houdan. The last picture is her at 5 weeks old.

 

[nuthatched]

Sure looks cockish...

 

[Cwat2006]

Unfortunately I’d say it’s a roo

 

[nuthatched]

Thank you for your replies! It’s just so odd because she/he is not dominant in the slightest, and I have only pullets and grown hens… even my little polish chick pecks her/him! I never see her/him chest bump or challenge anyone either. I guess we’ll only truly know when a crow or an egg comes out!!

Behavior isn't a good indicator of gender, my rooster was very docile and skittish as a chick.

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

He's a cockerel A pullet would not be this red in the face this young. The big indication are the wattles at this age on a bearded bird.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I guess we’ll only truly know when a crow or an egg comes out!!

It's a cockerel, he won't lay eggs but he will fertilize them. My friends Brahma rooster didn't crow until over a year & 1/2 old! I told her it was a boy, eventually she found out.

Color of comb and wattles is telling at the stated age.

Pretty cute, they call that color "paint" in Silkies. It's exciting to see the hatcheries embarking on fun projects!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I don’t think I could keep him though… I am able to have roosters but I have a few bantams such as Belgian D’uccles that are no larger than a pigeon, a silkie, and 3 bantam Cochins and I’ve heard that standard size roos can accidentally injure bantam hens

Some folks have kept large fowl roosters with bantam hens successfully. The poster stated the rooster mates them without standing on them. The individual rooster matters! The older grown hens MIGHT help keep him in line. His current temperament sounds like he could be agreeable.

I choose not to risk it. Accidents do happen.

Which means I added more coops and yards when I decided to keep large fowl rooster(s).

Despite being able to have them, keeping roosters is not for everyone and my hen only flocks are perfectly content, possibly even more peaceful!

Re-homing on craigslist farm and garden section is often doable either as a flock mate or dinner (state that you don't wanna know if it bugs you).. those of us who harvest birds do so as fearlessly and quickly as possible for the bird who lived every good day and has the same ultimate fate as we all do.

One other quick note regarding your until it crows or lays an egg statement.. Some hens crow (usually ridiculous sounding) and some grow spurs. (not usually seen in pullets) Some cocks also sing the egg song when startled or along with the hens.

Sounds like you have a very fun and interesting mix of breeds. Starting around 12 weeks (on non hen feathered breeds) is when you can start to see male specific pointy hackle and saddle feathers coming in and flowing a bit more, by 16 weeks..

Best wishes, whichever route you go!

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

Here’s another picture of my cookie and cream (left) compared to my aunts (right). They are the same exact age since we ordered our chicks together in the same order. Wouldn’t you think the comb would be much larger than hers? My chick is also a lot smaller in size.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Here’s another picture of my cookie and cream (left) compared to my aunts (right). They are the same exact age since we ordered our chicks together in the same order. Wouldn’t you think the comb would be much larger than hers? My chick is also a lot smaller in size.

Hopefully you're right.. maybe it was the lighting or temperature in your first set of photos adding to the redness!

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

Hopefully you're right.. maybe it was the lighting or temperature in your first set of photos adding to the redness!

It was about 95 that day so she was panting a lot! Also she was under the shade of my umbrella which has pink and orange in it... maybe that is why it looked so much more red in those pictures. I took more today when it is 70 degrees and the comb is nowhere near as red now. It is still pinker than my other pullets (all different breeds) so I will still be keeping an eye out for the saddle feather shape in the next few weeks...