Rooster?

[timelord1020]

Are these the beginning of rooster feathers?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Not seeing any in the feathers. In the photos all feathers still look round and full. Saddle feathers are narrow and pointy.
More telling is age and comb size/color.
How old is the bird? If only 10 to 12 weeks, then you likely have a rooster as hens get red combs at point of lay.
If older bird, could be an early maturing hen. Some BR hens are precocious.
LofMc

 

[timelord1020]

Merlin (that's it's name) is about 6 weeks old I was told that she is 100% female but the comb and curved tail feathers make me think otherwise. Her comb is paler than his sibling

 

[Lady of McCamley]

If 6 to 10 weeks of age, both are males.

LofMc

 

[RodNTN]

It looks like you've a couple of boys!

 

[timelord1020]

It looks like you've a couple of boys!

Well that's not good that would mean that 5 out of the six chicks are male talk about bad luck

 

[RodNTN]

Oh, I am sorry!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Bummer.
I feel your pain. Last summer, all I could hatch out were boys.
This year I'm more 50/50 again.
LofMc

 

[AllynTal]

I'm not seeing rooster saddle feathers in the pictures. Saddle feathers are something different than tail feathers. If they're only 15 weeks old, I'm not sure comb color would be an indicator yet since you have probably another month or two before laying.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I'm not seeing rooster saddle feathers in the pictures. Saddle feathers are something different than tail feathers. If they're only 15 weeks old, I'm not sure comb color would be an indicator yet since you have probably another month or two before laying.

Good point, but the OP believes the birds to be around 6 weeks of age. Even if 15 weeks of age, comb color and size is a big indicator and often your first and best indicator. Hens don't get comb growth and color until point of lay, which for most breeds is about 20 to 24 weeks.

This much comb and color at pre-point of lay, especially a number of weeks before, indicates rooster.

If it were 15 weeks, then yes, you can have some overlap between late maturing roosters and early maturing hens in some breeds, BR being one of them. For those, you have to wait for a crow or egg or some sign of secondary sex feathers (saddles and tail) which often don't show up until 6 months of age.

LofMc