# Pullet or Roo?



## MadDojah (Aug 7, 2020)

Hello! New to the forum and chickens! A friend of mine saw this baby roosting and suggested it may be a boy. What do you guys think?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

How old? 

Roosting isn't really an indicator of sex. I don't see a larger, reddening comb so it's pretty hard to tell.


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## MadDojah (Aug 7, 2020)

Thanks for the response! They’re 5 weeks. Online the sexing info is all over the place with suggestions but my flock is supposed to be all pullets


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

A little too young to be able to say one way or the other.

There seems to have been some errors made at the hatcheries this year in shipping out birds misidentified as female. 

Is that a large fowl or bantam?


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## MadDojah (Aug 7, 2020)

robin416 said:


> A little too young to be able to say one way or the other.
> 
> There seems to have been some errors made at the hatcheries this year in shipping out birds misidentified as female.
> 
> Is that a large fowl or bantam?


Large fowl! And I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed then, thanks.

Around what age should it be pretty obvious that the comb is or isn't developing in a male way?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I'll let someone else answer when the change happens. I raised Silkies, the comb had little to do with sexing that breed. 

It will pink up and get bigger than the others of the same age and same breed.


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## Longcrow (Jul 3, 2020)

If the rest are all pullets then a rooster would have his comb turning red and becoming considerably bigger by 7-8 weeks. The breast feathers appear more like a pullet as does the comb at this age. Roosters will also develop pointed ends to the feathers on the saddle, above the wingtips. Pullets will be rounded.


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

They are both pullets


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## MadDojah (Aug 7, 2020)

Longcrow said:


> If the rest are all pullets then a rooster would have his comb turning red and becoming considerably bigger by 7-8 weeks. The breast feathers appear more like a pullet as does the comb at this age. Roosters will also develop pointed ends to the feathers on the saddle, above the wingtips. Pullets will be rounded.


Great to know! Thank you so much. The breast feathers would be rounded as well or how do you tell there?


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

I wouldn't put a lot of stock in the shape of feathers at the saddle or the hackles, sometimes they get pointy right away, other times not until the rooster is very much older, as well as, sometimes it's just too hard to tell. All of my hens had pointed feathers, every last one of them. You can't tell by breast feathers.


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## MadDojah (Aug 7, 2020)

Looks like I’ll just have to wait and see to know for sure. But, one or two combs do seem brighter and more defined. (Like the Orpington on my other post) thanks for the help guys


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## mitzy123point (Dec 21, 2018)

Easter egger pullets, that color and pattern will only show up on pullets


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## MadDojah (Aug 7, 2020)

mitzy123point said:


> Easter egger pullets, that color and pattern will only show up on pullets


Thank you! The light coloring with the speckles on the tips of her feathers? I have another one who is the same color with an all white belly. These two have the least red faces out of all of them


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## mitzy123point (Dec 21, 2018)

The even pattern is a sign of hens, the random pattern is a rooster sign. It's hard to explain


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

mitzy123point said:


> The even pattern is a sign of hens, the random pattern is a rooster sign. It's hard to explain


I take it that's one of those things that you have to see to understand the difference?


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## MadDojah (Aug 7, 2020)

I'm realizing a lot of this just comes with time and experience, but that's most things anyway!  can't wait until I have some input on these things. Lol


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I've been in them for years yet there are some on here that teach me something new everyday. The biggest challenge for me was raising Silkies. They don't follow much in the way of hard feathered birds and how to ID them by combs or feather patterns.


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## mitzy123point (Dec 21, 2018)

robin416 said:


> I take it that's one of those things that you have to see to understand the difference?


Exactly lol just like you with the silkies! It's something you just get an eye for.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I'll tell you what, I sometimes feel so dumb when you guys spot something obvious when it comes to sexing or breed id. Like MadDojah said, there's a lot to learn. But it isn't an all at one time thing, it goes on for years and years.


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## MadDojah (Aug 7, 2020)

Well, I’m sure glad I have you guys to come to with questions!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Sometimes questions are really interesting. They can be about things we haven't thought about in years or from a perspective never considered. And it helps to refresh what it is we've learned over time.


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