Pullet- hen or rooster?

[Mikee1948]

I have an opportunity to get some black astralorp pullets. Is there a way to tell the difference?

 

[weimlikeschicks]

I believe they sex them on day 1 by manipulating the vent. Seeing a bump indicates cockerels and no bump is pullets. This is from my own research, as everyone told me it was impossible to sex a straight run till they got older. This is true, I found, because after a day or so it's no longer possible to tell, or so I'm told.

Pullets are hens, cockerels are roosters, straight run is unsexed.

Sorry if I misunderstood your question

 

[Mikee1948]

Sorry, just trying to find out if one can "sex" a pullet, about 16 weeks old, by their looks.

 

[DanEP]

Mikee yes you can, I happen to have 17 week old aussies right now. The pullets are just starting to grow a red comb and waddles while the cockeral is much taller and has a lot more comb and waddles. If you see them together you will know right away who the boys are.If all they have are pullets just make sure they have pretty small combs and very little in the way of waddles. At 16 week they may not have much red in their combs yet, some of mine were turning kind of pink some weren't but the boys will look like boys by this age.

 

[ChicKat]

Even the chicken sexers get it wrong sometimes.

A friend got a pullet that turned out to be a cockerel. The first indication was (to me) that the tail feathers were more prominent and they curled a little. Shortly thereafter it was crowing.

good luck with your chickens...hope they all turn out to be pullets.

 

[MaryAnn]

It depends on what breed too though. Like with the larger breeds, the males will take longer to get their feathers and will be bolder from day one. As for Astralorps ... you should be able to tell by size and feathers as well as by the comb/wattles. Sometimes you can tell by the hackle feathers--males have pointed feathers while females have rounded tips. Mostly, though, I'd say that if you watch them, you should be able to tell pretty soon. Don't know if that would work if you were buying them though!