Roo or pullet?

[Sparkleyhead]

I've had to play this guessing game before and have a bad habit of seeing what I want to see. This is 15 week old Blue, a Blue Cochin/EE cross. I see pullet, but then have second thoughts when I look at her legs, which are really thick, and her neck feathers which look pointy. In the past my roosters have had red combs by 11/12 weeks.

So what do you think? Pullet or slow growing roo? Forgive the disgruntled posture. Someone wasn't happy about posing for pictures.

 

[sourland]

Shiny wing coverlets in picture # 2 make me 85% certain it is a cockerel.

 

[Sparkleyhead]

Oh no! *bites nails* Here is an older picture at 10 weeks. I don't know if it helps or makes a difference, but the lighting is better.

 

[sourland]

Don't be biting your nails just yet. I'm not 100 % on my guess. Take a look at the wings in the 10 week old picture, and then look at the 15 week picture. Note the appearance of pointy, shiny wing coverlets. Hope that I am wrong.

 

[Sparkleyhead]

Thank you for your input! I see what you are talking about. They are darker and silkier. Blue's feathering is so funky since he/she is half cochin. The mom has very dull feathers and the father has normal shiny feathers (not counting the cape and saddle feathers). It's the very light coloring in the face, the undeveloped comb and wattles, no spur buds and lack of crowing/aggressive behavior that have me thinking girl. But then I see the rooster like feathering and those massive legs and seriously have doubts.

Blue might also be part eagle because he/she has HUGE wings. They practically wrap around the back haha. Also has bigger eyes than my other birds.

 

[Sparkleyhead]

*Sigh* I believe you might be more than 85% correct about Blue being a roo I was just looking under those massive wings tonight and discovered some lovely shiny saddle feathers coming in. Those darn wings are so long and cover so much that I couldn't see anything until I actually pulled the wings away. The folks won't be happy about this. Blue's father is already on thin ice on account of him hating everybody but me. My 6 year old brother is his sworn nemesis. Well, if Blue does in fact turn out to be a rooster, hopefully being half cochin will help mellow him out. His mother is possibly the sweetest fluff ball I have ever met. And his father isn't all that bad compared to other roosters I've heard about.