Prairie Blue Bell pullet or cockerel?

[NewJourney]

16 weeks old. Was sold as straight run. I see no comb development yet and have heard no crowing but I suspect cockerel. I currently have too many cockerels and we are working to pare them down quickly.

Photos include the blue Prairie Bluebell Egger from TSC and same age Starlight Green Egger bought at the same time.






It appears to have a sickle feather but I don’t notice any other male feathering. What do you think?

 

[MysteryChicken]

Pullet with a funky feather.

 

[WingItRanch]

I can see why you're concerned with that tail but I'm leaning toward pullet. Sickle feathers usually develop much later in cockerels so this may just be some crazy feather growth.

She has small legs, a small comb, and no obvious pointy feather shapes. Just a crazy feather!

 

[JedJackson]

Definitely a pullet.

 

[NewJourney]

Thank you all!!! I sure hope she’s a pullet! I’ll try to update this thread in the coming months when I’m a bit more sure. Hehe

 

[WingItRanch]

Thank you all!!! I sure hope she’s a pullet! I’ll try to update this thread in the coming months when I’m a bit more sure. Hehe

You should share the egg color when you get one! I've been curious about the prairie bluebells.

 

[NewJourney]

You should share the egg color when you get one! I've been curious about the prairie bluebells.

I will! Right now my egg colors are white, tan, and brown with one teal Easter Egger egg. The newbies just about to start laying:
2 Starlight Green Eggers (pretty, light green?)
1 Prairie Bluebell Egger (sky blue?)
2 Black Copper Marans (dark brown)
2 Buff Brahmas (light brown?)
5 White Laced Red Cornish (brown egg?)

I'll have to compare my EE eggs to the PBBE once they start laying consistently. I'm pretty sure they will look very similar.

I have what I believe to be a Black Copper Marans x Deathlayer rooster. I plan to hatch out some colorful eggs next spring or summer to see what those ladies lay. I don't yet know if my rooster passes on white or dark brown egg color. I shall find out next year.

 

[Lizzyduff]

You should share the egg color when you get one! I've been curious about the prairie bluebells.

My prairie bluebell eggers lay intense gorgeous blue almost teal eggs. Once they start up again in the spring I'll post photos. Unfortunately both my prairie bluebell egger girls have some fairly severe health issues. One grew a tumor at 6 months old (she's recovering from surgery atm) and the other is prone to egg binding, prolapse and shell less eggs. Not a single one of my other hens has ever had any of these issues in the past 5 years. I hope I'm wrong. The PBE girls are so sweet and pretty and such personality! I wouldn't trade them for anything. Going to see if the vet can stop the one from laying eggs with a hormone shot. I don't want to risk her health just for more eggs. Has anyone else had an uncommon amount of issues with their PBE hens?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

You should share the egg color when you get one! I've been curious about the prairie bluebells.

All 6 of my PBEs laid gorgeous blue eggs last year and I'm expecting more of the same this year. I've had no health issues in any of them. I was surprised at the variety in their appearance. Two look like Brown Leghorns (Thing 1 and Thing 2). One is black with gold flecks (feather shafts?) (Raven). One is ... i don't know how to describe her except to say she is silver with a pale pink breast (Winnie). One is mostly white with a lot of red leakage, she looks a lot like a Salmon Faverolle (Spook, because she first feathered out white). There's one more that doesn't come to mind right now, but that gives you an idea of how varied they are in appearance.