Trouble sexing black orpington cross chicks

[Hensforbrains]

I recently got 4 chicks from a family member. Their dad was a purebreed black orpington and the mother was as much of a mixed breed as you can get. I have heard that sexing orpingtons is very difficult so I need some help with these. I was told that half the chicks had that hatched in that clutch were definate roosters and had already been culled and these 4 were ones he thought were probably pullets but im not sure. I intend to wait until they crow or lay but thought i may as well ask as well. I was told they should be about 7 weeks old but most chicks i have had before have feathered more by then but i have never had orpingtons.

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

I see one pullet and three cockerels

 

[Painted Calls]

I see one pullet and three cockerels

Agreed.

 

[nuthatched]

There's at least two very obvious cockerels, no need to wait until they crow or lay.

 

[kurby22]

Yeah, I see two that are obvious, one questionable and one that’s probably a pullet!

 

[Hensforbrains]

I am still going to keep them until even I can't deny it anymore but I think your right that 2, and quite probably 3, are roosters.

 

[Hensforbrains]

Does it matter that they only look red some of the time? When they are all relaxed they look pale. They only go red when im bugging them with my camera

 

[Ryguy3684]

I've hatched a lot of Buff Orpingtons and the comb/wattle size/color difference is all but a guarantee in sexing them. It depends on how old they are, but I only see one pullet. I couldn't keep the pictures straight on which birds were which, though. I would still keep them until crow or lay, because there's an exception to every rule. Fingers crossed.

 

[Ryguy3684]

Does it matter that they only look red some of the time? When they are all relaxed they look pale. They only go red when im bugging them with my camera

The size difference in the comb is a big factor with Orpingtons more than the color

 

[Hensforbrains]

The size difference in the comb is a big factor with Orpingtons more than the color

Thanks. I'm fairly sure the one with thet tiny comb is a pullet. I was told they should be 7 - 8 weeks old. There are two factors that make me less sure about the genders and that is the mothers genes could be just about anything (although the black orpington traits look fairly dominant to me) and I have no idea what the other "definate" roosters from this clutch looked like