Time to play- Is she a he????

[j mo1]

Ok all you sleuths thanks for playing, here are some photos and clues for you to help me determine if my chicken is a roo or hen. If you could provide me with info on why you think this is a roo or hen instead of a "gut" feeling that would be great so I can figure out what to do.

Born on June 6th
None are laying eggs yet
The barred rock w the smallish comb is the lead chicken
No crowing or anything like that
legs have no signs of spurs
the comb and wattle just shot out of nowhere...

thanks!

 

[WYOwhy]

I'm no expert, but the lack of saddle feathers on a BR of that age makes me vote for pullet. I've seen some pictures of BRs with combs like that when they are laying.

 

[shell25]

Im no expert either, but i believe BR roos to be alot lighter in colour, im new on here aswell and remember seeing a thread that stated the comb becomes more redder when they are ready to lay. So maybe you have a pullet thats going to give you some eggs very soon.

 

[allieloveschickens]

I think its a girl- one of my pullets grew a big comb and wattles before the rest too.

 

[dntd]

It looks like that one is about to lay any time now.

 

[Judy]

How to sex barred rocks: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=331015

 

[Ken F]

I agree that she's a pullet. I have 6 BR pullets (now 30 weeks old). Two of them got large combs and wattles at 16 weeks and began laying at 18.5 weeks.
I have also read that cockerels are much light in color, almost a reverse of the hen's barring.

 

[Mtn Cur]

pullet with a big comb and wattles

And get ready for your BR's to beat the crap out of your speckled sussex's. I got rid of my BR's because they were more chicken aggressive than my game hens.

 

[sheila3935]

It does have a rooish comb and wattles but I think pullet too. I have 2 roos that was born June 1st one is darker one lighter but they have long tail feathers and their saddle feathers and hackle feathers are longer than the picture of yours also they have crowed for awhile. One since he was 6 weeks old.

 

[j mo1]

Thanks everyone! I sure hope shes a SHE.....

So far the speckled and the barred rocks seem to get along fine. My S.S. tend to keep to themselves and are amazing foragers, while the BR's are basically beggers, though they are begining to pick up a few survival tips form the S.S.'s.

The only thing I dont care for about the S.S's is that they can make my yard look like a tornado blew thru in less than two hours!


When am I going to get eggs?! Im in San Diego and we dont really do "Winters" here, I figured id be making frittatas by now.