6 week Black Tail White Japanese Bantam... is she a roo?

[roheryn]

Hoping my little girl isn't a guy, but her comb is starting to get rather large. Could be a breed thing? I've never raised one of these bantams, but of course bantams come straight run. So far, my bantam record is 2:3 hens (lost my lovely cockerel last year to a hawk, I like to think he was defending his girls) She was the neediest little baby, cried constantly, but has quieted to sweet teen. I did the feather test when she was 2 weeks, and it looked like a pullet, but I've never done feather tests before. What do you all think? She was born Feb 26, pics are 2 week, 4 week, 5 week (sunning) and 6 week

 

[nchls school]

She is a he-cockerel.

 

[nchls school]

She is a he-cockerel.

 

[Ladybird CA]

What a transformation in just one week. Do you have more pictures of the bird’s full body?

 

[Mamatomany123]

Yeah, at 5 weeks, that's a cockerel

 

[roheryn]

Here sHe is at nearly 7 weeks, front, side and back. I'm afraid everyone is right... that is a heck of a large red comb growing!

 

[Mamatomany123]

Here sHe is at nearly 7 weeks, front, side and back. I'm afraid everyone is right... that is a heck of a large red comb growing!

Oh, definitely a cockerel. For comparison, heres my pullet at almost 7 weeks.

 

[roheryn]

Oh, definitely a cockerel. For comparison, heres my pullet at almost 7 weeks.

Yeah, that's what I thought... that comb just showed up out of nowhere! I've got a sex-link black maran same age, and really barely any comb to speak of, like your girl. We also have a one week younger partridge rock that barely has a comb, so I'm hoping we can keep at least the 2. I usually add 2 each year to my flock (which is only 5... 2 bantams and 3 standards) but this year we got 3. Unless Thestral stays quiet, we cannot keep him.

 

[GardenState38]

I have the same exact question. I have a black-tailed white chick that is 6-7 weeks and has the same prominent comb. The feathering and body shape aren’t screaming cockerel to me. I’m not familiar with this breed, and was wondering if the females’ combs just tend to grow fast. I’m not going to compare her/him with a completely different breed of chicken...
I look at pictures of Japanese bantam hens and they look like mine...

 

[Mamatomany123]

I have the same exact question. I have a black-tailed white chick that is 6-7 weeks and has the same prominent comb. The feathering and body shape aren’t screaming cockerel to me. I’m not familiar with this breed, and was wondering if the females’ combs just tend to grow fast. I’m not going to compare her/him with a completely different breed of chicken...
I look at pictures of Japanese bantam hens and they look like mine...View attachment 2122124View attachment 2122127

That's definitely a cockerel.