She turning into a he???? Oh no!!

[mommas chickens]

Ahh well I guess Ill change his name from Petunia to rooster stew sorry big guy!! Thanks for the information Ill remember not to get my hopes up to soon about there gender lol!!

 

[cmfarm]

I really don't know anything about the breed but I wonder if the darker comb/wattles is due to it about the start laying eggs. As for the comb size I've seen some hens with some big ones before. I still think it could be a hen. My husband told me to tell you that you need to put up a little bathroom stall, one marked girl and one marked boy and see which one it goes into.LOL

 

[drumstick diva]

OOOh I hate it when they do that (she turning into he)

 

[mommas chickens]

Quote:

I love that idea!! LOL best suggestion yet!! He and my husband would get along always a wise idea like that!

Well its got a month or so to prove every one wrong unless he/she starts crowing cause hopefully everyone else starts laying soon I guess if it pops out and egg well know for sure!

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:

I love that idea!! LOL best suggestion yet!! He and my husband would get along always a wise idea like that!

Well its got a month or so to prove every one wrong unless he/she starts crowing cause hopefully everyone else starts laying soon I guess if it pops out and egg well know for sure!

 

[phasianidae]

The head says roo but he is henny feathered, time will tell. I have never heard of a henny feathered Orpington before.

 

[Inkheart]

I had one do the same thing and had my friend who is a third generation poultry guy fooled too - until she - well he crowed!

 

[EweSheep]

Orpingtons and Ameraucanas and Silkies are the three breeds I really have problems sexing about a month old or so....sometimes you have to wait until they either lay or crow or get their sex feathers in.

 

[Bo Garrett]

Hope you haven't killed her yet, it is a pullet that will probably lay in a few days if she lives. A 20 week old orp should have developed the sex feathers in the hackle, saddle and tail indicative of a male. What you have is a pullet that has matured faster than your other pullets. On a rare occasion a hen will turn into a male but this has to have lots of factors to happen. Hens normally lay all their eggs from one ovary which develops, while the other stays small and undeveloped. If the developed ovary becomes damaged and the damage causes testosterone to be produced the underdeveloped ovary will be promted to develop but due to the increased testosterone it becomes a testicle, the hen will molt and grow male feathers, will crow and produce sperm, even though there is not a way for her to transport it.
I do not think this is what has happened here, even though your girl has a more develped comb and wattles she is still a girl, hold off on the chicken and dumplings and prepare for eggs and bacon instead.

Bo

 

[dandydoodle]

I don't know how many people that are answering you actually have Buff Orpingtons. I have to Buff Orpington hens and one of them has a comb that is a lot larger then yours and I know she is a girl because she lays eggs. Honestly I wouldn't worry about it unless she starts rooing or mounting your other chickens. She look like a girl to me, judging by the way my Buff Orpington hens look.