One hen is more developed than the others of the same age

[dskowron]

As you can see in this image, the center hen in front has a much more developed comb and wattles. This picture doesn't show it very well but hers are much deeper red and much more fully developed than the others. I have five of these girls (one is off camera) - Black Australorpes - and I got them all the same day. They are all the exact same age. So how can one be so much more developed than the others? And, she is definitely the alpha hen in this little flock.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Age? Depending on your answer, there's always a chance "she" could be a "he".

I had 2 Black Australorps in 2023. One developed much, much faster than the other. I was positive that meant one was a cockerel, but nope. They just grow at different rates. In fact, the more developed one was the last to lay eggs!

 

[Mother of Chaos]

In the picture, s/he seems to be up on a table hay bale (I didn’t notice at first), which exaggerates the size difference.

 

[nuthatched]

How old? The one in the center?

 

[Not-so Slick Chicken]

In the picture, s/he seems to be up on a table (I didn’t notice at first), which exaggerates the size difference.

I believe it's the one just to the "right" of the one perched on the hay bale.

Comb and wattles are much more developed

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

How many weeks are they? Can you get a picture of the chicken in question by itself? The one with the reddest comb and wattles in the center could be a cockerel but it could also be a pullet close to point of lay. Age and a better photo would help.

 

[dskowron]

Yes, one is on a hay bale so appears larger. The one with the most developed comb is also the largest and I don't think it's a cockerel - no spurs. The others are close though. They are all the same age - about 14 weeks. They all came from the same brood.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

no spurs.

Hens can have spurs and I’m not sure how developed they would be at this age. So that’s not definitive. 14 weeks would be pretty early for an Australorp to start laying. They do have pretty showy combs but since they are all the same age they should be a similar size. Feathering should be useful at this age but when I try to zoom in on the photo it gets fuzzy

 

[nuthatched]

Yes, one is on a hay bale so appears larger. The one with the most developed comb is also the largest and I don't think it's a cockerel - no spurs. The others are close though. They are all the same age - about 14 weeks. They all came from the same brood.

Spurs don't indicate gender, even then, spurs don't grow in until closer to a year.
At 14 weeks, you may have some early blooming pullets or cockerels. Can you get clear pictures of each bird ?

 

[dskowron]

I'll get some better photos after it stops raining out.