Ziggy the secret pullet?

[Punkyrooster16]

This is Ziggy (or Zoey, as promised to my daughter if he turns out to be a she). The person we were purchasing chicks from knew I wanted an older roo and told me to take my pick from her pen of young cockerels. It was dusk so lighting was dim.

I grabbed this guy because he reminded me of my barred chocolate orpingtons from years ago. I asked if she was sure he was a roo and she said she thought so, but was fine with me taking him either way, so I did.

He was born in mid-to-late March so he/she is still fairly young. He is the most docile chicken I have ever met (and was clearly ravaged by the other roos - in the light of day I look realized that half his back feathers are missing).

Other than the tail feathers, he doesn’t really look like a cockerel to me. He runs up to me to say hello and be pet. He has also bonded with our older (5 week) chicks a fair bit, although I feel like a pullet/hen might be less likely to do that.

All that said, is it possible he is a pullet? I’m fine either way, more curious than anything, and feel free to weigh in on breed if you have any thoughts (might also help me research what the roos of that breed tend to look like). Thanks!

 

[Sensationalsilkies]

I feel it is a female. fancy feathered bird whatever it is . Very pretty. Congrats Looks like a few more months before she will lay eggs.

 

[Yardmom]

Looks like a possible EE. Puffy cheeks and slate legs. The stance makes me wonder if it is a late developing cockeral, but can't say for sure.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

Do you have a shot of the comb? That would be most helpful determining gender at this age.

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

I would say pullet but I wonder if it's sexlinked which is why the breeder says it's a cockerel. Were all cockerels barred and pullets not? It looks to be an Olive Egger, probably Marans crossed with an Ameraucana or Easter Egger

 

[Lemon-Drop]

It looks like a pullet, but that stance has me thinking.

Though sometimes my birds will straighten up to Peck at my camera.

 

[Punkyrooster16]

I’ll try to get a close-up of his comb but it’s almost non-existent and not red at all. He does have that stance all the time, but he could be uncomfortable because he’s missing a ton of feathers on his back.

He’s also incredibly submissive - the bigger hens are (unsurprisingly) picking on him as a newcomer, of course, but I’ve never had a brand new chicken that hasn’t been very socialized run to me for safety (although he may associate me with safety given that I took him from a place where he was clearly being picked on relentlessly).

He doesn’t put any of the younger / smaller pullets in their place, though. It’s just so weird! I’ll try to grab more pics; I honestly don’t mind either way but it would be nice to have an extra pullet around (esp since roos are a dime a dozen, lol).

Oh, and wrt breeding, I don’t think he was sex-linked because she got (a variety of) hatching eggs and I feel like she would have mentioned that some were sex-linked instead of just sorta shrugging about it. But that would make sense - I’ve def bought sex-linked chicks that turned out to be cockerels!

I think I may ask about the potential breeds though, because I am super curious now! He is just so pretty, and the only one in the flock that will willingly jump up and snuggle

 

[Punkyrooster16]

Do you have a shot of the comb? That would be most helpful determining gender at this age.

Admittedly not the greatest pics but maybe these can help? I’m also going to add some better shots of his/her feathering below. It is showing a bit of pink. He’s definitely a strange bird, to say the least!

 

[Punkyrooster16]

A few more shots showing the feathering... I’m not seeing the hackle feathers I’d be expecting at all, but maybe the barring could be hiding it a bit?

I’m also not convinced his/her tail will look like that once his back feathers grow back in... it doesn’t show, but he’s missing about 4 square inches of feathers on his back just in front of the tail.

I just don’t know whether he was being ridden hard as the only pullet in a pen full of adolescent cockerels, or just became a target as the most timid cockerel.

 

[JedJackson]

It's looking like a pullet so far, but things can change fast. Best to just let it grow and keep an eye on its comb. If the comb goes through a growth spurt and reddens up in the next month or so you'll know you have a cockerel.