7.5 week old Sussex has me stumped

[FattySmough]

This is what my speckled sussex hen looked like when she was 12 weeks old.

I've only ever had one cockerel ever so I'm not too experienced in telling gender, but hopefully this pic helps for comparison since their age is similar.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I still think cockerel

 

[Morrigan]

I'm still leaning towards cockerel as well. At least that is my operating assumption until proven otherwise. Will post pictures in another week. Maybe by then it will be 100% obvious.

@FattySmough -- those are some impressive tail feathers on your pullet.

 

[FattySmough]

those are some impressive tail feathers on your pullet.

I know right? I was unsure of her gender based on the tail feathers alone.

 

[Morrigan]

10 Week Old Update.

And . . . I'm still not sure! Last night, my husband voted for it being a pullet. The wattle size, and thick legs still say cockerel, but boy, that comb sure doesn't look like a 10 week old cockerel, particularly when its standing next to its hatch mate who is a loud and proud boy. I've gone from being 100% cockerel, to 80% cockerel, to starting lean towards pullet. And, just when I was making plans for "him" to replace my current rooster! Here are pictures from this morning.

What do you think?

 

[Painted Calls]

10 Week Old Update.

And . . . I'm still not sure! Last night, my husband voted for it being a pullet. The wattle size, and thick legs still say cockerel, but boy, that comb sure doesn't look like a 10 week old cockerel, particularly when its standing next to its hatch mate who is a loud and proud boy. I've gone from being 100% cockerel, to 80% cockerel, to starting lean towards pullet. And, just when I was making plans for "him" to replace my current rooster! Here are pictures from this morning.

What do you think?

View attachment 3182549View attachment 3182557
View attachment 3182550

Definitely a pullet.

 

[Morrigan]

Definitely a pullet.

If you're right, she is going to be exhibit A on why sussex are hard to sex early. I wish I had taken a picture at 4 1/4 weeks, when it had the biggest and pinkest comb out of the three hatchlings. Plus huge legs, and a stumpy tail. This one had me completely fooled.

Will update if I get an egg, . . . or, if it starts crowing or sprouting saddle feathers,

 

[Painted Calls]

If you're right, she is going to be exhibit A on why sussex are hard to sex early. I wish I had taken a picture at 4 1/4 weeks, when it had the biggest and pinkest comb out of the three hatchlings. Plus huge legs, and a stumpy tail. This one had me completely fooled.

Will update if I get an egg, . . . or, if it starts crowing or sprouting saddle feathers,

It's a pullet. Sussex comb up early. Boys at this age would have a huge, bright red comb and wattles.

 

[Morrigan]

It's a pullet. Sussex comb up early. Boys at this age would have a huge, bright red comb and wattles.

Makes total sense. I've never had cockerel of any breed, who hasn't been sporting a much bigger and redder comb and wattles by 10 weeks. But the size of the legs and early pink wattles kept throwing me.

The big winner here is going to be the oliver egger cockerel who now gets to audition for the role of flock rooster.

 

[Paz]

Is it a girl? Do we have the answer?
I used to have an Arabic hen who was a lesbian and looked like a small rooster but she layed eggs. I thought she was a girl at first because she was smaller than her two brothers, then she started being pushed by them and trying to hump the girls, and just looked like a boy, so I thought, oh well, three boys, but THEN at 9 months old which is pretty late, she started laying, and my father said it's a lesbian chicken...