Pullet or Rooster?

[EmmaRainboe]

Fingers crossed for a girl, it makes me feel better if it is even a chance, i was convinced otherwise.

Update us in 1-2 months if eggs don't come before then. If there are no eggs in two months any cockerel features should be extremely obvious. Usually by 21 weeks they would be obvious too, but you can get some late bloomers. I do expect her to lay you some eggs before then though.

 

[JessesChickens101]

Here she is today.

This is my opinion
With this photo ''Olivia'' is 100% a cockerel, I have a 4 year old Australorp and her comb and wattle are smaller than ''Olivias'' are right now, and those tail feathers AND the crowing, You've got yourself a boy, I'm not incredibly experienced but I've had Australorps for 3 years and I'm certain its a Cockerel

 

[JaeG]

I've had an Orpington pullet with whacky, longer tail feathers that looked rooster-ish, though she did not have long, skinny, pointed saddle or hackle feathers so I knew she was a girl. She was the one that crowed every morning as a pullet, though she stopped when she began to lay. She's never crowed again. Hormones?

Australorps are an early maturing breed and can start to lay as early as 18 weeks old. I would expect a cockerel to be showing rooster specific hackle and saddle feathers at 21 weeks, especially if pullets can start laying from 18 weeks.

 

[Lis86]

I've had an Orpington pullet with whacky, longer tail feathers that looked rooster-ish, though she did not have long, skinny, pointed saddle or hackle feathers so I knew she was a girl. She was the one that crowed every morning as a pullet, though she stopped when she began to lay. She's never crowed again. Hormones?

Australorps are an early maturing breed and can start to lay as early as 18 weeks old. I would expect a cockerel to be showing rooster specific hackle and saddle feathers at 21 weeks, especially if pullets can start laying from 18 weeks.

Thanks for that, I can't see any saddle feathers and her hackle ones look like my other australorp who has started laying. The crowing and big wattles have thrown me off. I guess I just watch and wait for eggs to know for sure.

 

[The Happster]

She's a pullet, without a doubt.

 

[SulkyBantam]

I'm so divided!

If these were 2 different chickens I'd probably say:

PULLET

ROOSTER

And yet though her hackles are pointy her poise is hen-like.
I'm not going by the crow 'cos hens have been known to do that too.

Well, well, well. Just have to see. I'm going with team pullet.

 

[Mellowmalt]

I do not feel qualified to say with all the experts here and I am not one. (Actually, I do not even believe in the label of expert) Anyway even, though I have only recently become a chicken owner I have been around them my whole life. That is so obviously a pullet to me. And, it is well known that some will crow.

This post is the perfect example that the so called experts are guessing just as much as everyone else since nobody can even identify this one accurately . What makes an expert? On an online Forum it is usually showing off with bogus info. If someone has been raising chickens all their life then an expert would have only gained more experience working on a mass scale farm but still there will always be someone who will claim they know better.

I will just put in a vote for a pullet, the way she walks and doesn't lift her tail feathers much, a male would show off more - a bit like an expert so I am pretty sure she is an egg layer. One more good sign would be the time of crowing. If it happens first thing in the morning it is likely to be a male, if it happens during the day, most likely female.

 

[Painted Calls]

Pullet.

 

[Painted Calls]

I can't believe this got to 6 pages.

 

[ColtHandorf]

Hmmm, I saw the first pictures and would have said pullet without a doubt, despite the crowing. But the last two photos positively scream cockerel. I've raised Black Australorps before and some females can have larger combs and wattles. Males, especially hatchery-quality birds have combs much larger than my English Orpingtons for example.

Bantam Black Australorp Pair:

Large Fowl Black Australorp breeding group:

The bird is beautiful either way. But I'm going to draw a line in the sand and confidently say cockerel. The crowing, comb/wattle development, and stance make me say that. I might feel differently if I saw the bird in person. Hopefully you can upload the video of the bird crowing. I personally have never had a female crow, although I know it happens. I have had a seven-month old bird develop male feathering and begin to crow and breed after a dominant (people-aggressive and duck raping) male was sent to live elsewhere.

I also see what looks like the beginning of spurs starting, which we all know is not a clear indicator of sexing chickens, and many breeds have females that sport them. None of my females ever did. And on that note, I'm sure it isn't and I'm sure you know, but check the leg band. It looks like it might be a little tight in the photos.