Prairie BlueBell Egger

[Frazzemrat1]

I honestly don’t know how old she is. She/he was born in June or July. We got her and her sisters from a friend that has a farm with chickens, ducks, turkeys and quail among other animals. He only had an estimate of her age.

So, at most, we're looking at a 16 week old, at least we're looking at a 12 week old. So, that being the case, its either a cockerel waiting to grow in his male saddle feathers, or a pullet, starting to think about laying.
At this point, I'm leaning more towards a cockerel.

 

[ChickenTenderKesha]

I’m in this boat too. She is supposed to be a prairie bluebell, but she is so big she is scaring me. She is by far my biggest chicken. I got her in August, and she was between four and eight weeks old then (supposedly). Like others, I can’t find much to compare her to. Thoughts? She? Correct breed?

Can I ask when in August you got “her”? Do you have a photo from when you first got them?

So, at most, we're looking at a 16 week old, at least we're looking at a 12 week old. So, that being the case, its either a cockerel waiting to grow in his male saddle feathers, or a pullet, starting to think about laying.
At this point, I'm leaning more towards a cockerel.

Admittedly I think it looks more like a male as well, but I can’t really tell and I’m mainly guessing.. those legs do look pretty thick though

 

[FireGal]

I got her August 29. This is a picture of her the day I brought her home. I trust the guy we got her from. He is a friend and knows his animals, but... She/he sure is big

 

[Frazzemrat1]

I got her August 29. This is a picture of her the day I brought her home. I trust the guy we got her from. He is a friend and knows his animals, but... She/he sure is big

That pic solidifies it.... that's a cockerel you have there!

 

[FireGal]

That pic solidifies it.... that's a cockerel you have there!

But,but... we did the feather test and everything

 

[ChickenTenderKesha]

I got her August 29. This is a picture of her the day I brought her home. I trust the guy we got her from. He is a friend and knows his animals, but... She/he sure is big

That pic solidifies it.... that's a cockerel you have there!

I agree with Frazzemrat1 here!

But,but... we did the feather test and everything

I’m not positive but isn’t it the other way around if it can be done? The uneven is the male and the straight across is female?

 

[FireGal]

I agree with Frazzemrat1 here!


I’m not positive but isn’t it the other way around if it can be done? The uneven is the male and the straight across is female?

I sincerely hope not. If so, I have eight boys....

 

[ChickenTenderKesha]

I sincerely hope not. If so, I have eight boys....

I read my source wrong, you are correct in the males being straight across!

 

[Frazzemrat1]

But,but... we did the feather test and everything

Feathers sexing only works under a very specific set of circumstances. One of the parents (I can't remember which goes where) has to be a slow feathering breed and the other a fast feathering breed for feather sexing to work. It won't work with any pure bred, and since hatcheries are breeding bluebell eggers for the egg color and nothing else, I'm 99% sure that feather sexing wouldn't apply here.
I personally tried to feather sex my first flock, and convinced myself that I had half cockerels. As a result, I ran out and ordered 6 more chicks from Meyers... I ended up with 12 pullets and no cockerels! Chicken Math at its best!

 

[HomesteadDeb]

Going to try to get a good picture of my PBB later to share...also beginning to wonder if I have a cockerel, which is fine. If one didn't turn out to be a cockerel we would have found one, to keep an eye out on the girls for us Both of my PBB are dark red with golden spackling, but one is beginning to develop some pretty serious tail feathers. It could just be she's taking more after the crossbreed than the araucana. I'm just going to be bummed to lose one of my two blue Eggers. Maybe I'll have to add to my flock in the spring...