OH SNAP!! Is this a roo? Please help!!

[NoSleepTillBrooklyn]

So my daughter wanted a chicken. Well, mom wanted chickens, and got daughter excited about it! So now she's deeply attached to her "Mindy" who upon looking at her tail feathers may be a Mork.

Uh-oh. We can't have a rooster, so she'll be devastated. I want to know if I should be preparing her to give up her beloved Mindy.

Background: The chickens are black australorps. About 9 weeks old. The chicken in question does not have 'spurs'. Obviously hasn't crowed (or I'd have my answer, right?)

Please examine and give me your input!!

This is the chicken in question. The comb isn't overly large like I've seen on some early roo pics around here.

You can see the sorta long tail feathers in this picture. No "saddle" feathers that I can tell. But what do I know?

I'm not sure if that tail is just sort of an "in between" filling out phase that I'm seeing or a rooster tail in the making. This chicken has always been a wee bit smaller than the other.

I feel like I've messed around with the funky cold medina. Is it a cockerel or a pullet? PLEASE BE A PULLET MINDY PLEASE BE A PULLET!

 

[dsqard]

How old is the chicken? Right now I am not seeing anything that is screaming roo. Can you get a better side picture?
ETA - Sorry I am an idiot, just saw that the chicken is 9 weeks old. I would definitely say pullet!

 

[Cowgirl71]

For 9 weeks old it's got quite a bit of pink on it's face... But there's still hope for Mindy! I'd guess 70% chance of rooster and 30% chance of pullet.

Did you buy him/her/it as a sexed pullet?

 

[teach1rusl]

Just went back to look at my June Bug's 9 wk. pictures. She looks about the same as your Mindy, so I'd say pullet. I zoomed in on my pic and saw pink comb and reddening of the wattle area...

 

[KIDDSBANTAMS]

Need a better all side pic, that is a lot of pink in the comb and wattles though, so I would be thinking the same thing.

 

[schellie69]

It does not scream rooster to me. I had 2 Austrolorps last year I would wait and see. Maybe a picture of the top showing the head to the tail and see if we can see some hackle or saddle feathers. Also don't look at the feathers just under the head around the neck those are pointy even on pullets I found out the hard way when I panicked at thought that my 2 sex link pullets where roosters because those feathers where pointy until I looked at all my chickens and noticed that they all had some pointy feathers around the face and neck area.

 

[NoSleepTillBrooklyn]

I have to get to a doc appt. I will take some side pics when I get home. THANKS so much. Please come back and check out the new pics. You guys are awesome.

 

[NoSleepTillBrooklyn]

Here are some more side pics (as best I can do, they move pretty quick!)

This is Mindy's back

This is as from the side as it gets. She is in the front. She is usually the more friendly and curious one. Which is also what concerns me.

Gah!!!!

Help!!

 

[lady feathers]

I'd say pullet..........my roo is almost 5 weeks and has a comb 3x that size and wattles are about 1/4 inch long. Could be a late bloomer but I think you are safe with "Mindy".

 

[sawmane1]

that last pic, in my opinion, comfermed pulet.