# Plymouth Rock pullet or rooster?



## Marie Mitchell

As some of you may no i hatched chicks and got 4 roosters out of the 6. I rehomed all 4 roosters and got some baby chicks from the local feed store to replace those roosters for my kids. Well I got two Plymouth rocks and suspect one to be a rooster. They are 4-5 weeks old and the local feed store basically said I can't tell this soon but I really then I have a rooster. Can anyone confirm for me please?

This is the hen...
















This is who I believe to be a rooster...

















Thanks in advance!


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## robin416

Yep, looks like you did it again. There is also something about the barring being different in the two.

I just found this, best side by side of a rooster and hen I think I've ever come across. https://animalsake.com/how-to-tell-barred-rock-rooster-from-hen

Are you getting bantams? It might work better for you if you bought from a private breeder when the bird is old enough to tell because right now it seems you're a rooster magnet.


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## Sylie

Yes, the second one is a rooster, no if's and's or buts about it. 
The barring thing that Robin is referring to is that in PBR's, the males look lighter (some think they look more gray, some think they look more white but point is, lighter than the females) because the white bar gene is doubled in males making the bars wider causing the eye to wash out the black. Anyway, that's all sciency stuff, suffice it to say, the males look lighter than the females. Also, that huge comb is a dead give away.


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## Marie Mitchell

robin416 said:


> Yep, looks like you did it again. There is also something about the barring being different in the two.
> 
> I just found this, best side by side of a rooster and hen I think I've ever come across. https://animalsake.com/how-to-tell-barred-rock-rooster-from-hen
> 
> Are you getting bantams? It might work better for you if you bought from a private breeder when the bird is old enough to tell because right now it seems you're a rooster magnet.


Haha I am a rooster magnet! So the feed store will let me switch him out but I'll have a baby chick again and I no they don't do well by themselves which would lead me to buy one more so it could have a friend... I think I'm better off letting them rehome this rooster and I don't swap it for another one! I have 7 without the rooster so I don't think I need 9 haha. Man I don't have much luck with roosters. Luckily my kids aren't attached to this one yet!


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## Marie Mitchell

Sylie said:


> Yes, the second one is a rooster, no if's and's or buts about it.
> The barring thing that Robin is referring to is that in PBR's, the males look lighter (some think they look more gray, some think they look more white but point is, lighter than the females) because the white bar gene is doubled in males making the bars wider causing the eye to wash out the black. Anyway, that's all sciency stuff, suffice it to say, the males look lighter than the females. Also, that huge comb is a dead give away.


Thank you! I knew I had a rooster but the lady looked at me like I was crazy and said I can't tell this soon... But Plymouth rocks give many different ways to no early on but are still looked at me like I didn't no what I was talking about so I needed confirmation haha


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## robin416

That would have been me a few months ago saying it's too soon to tell even though I have had chickens for years. Thanks to some people here I'm finally learning how to tell when they're not a Silkie.


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