SuperC
Chirping
Stats: “Lavender” Orpington from light grey parents who seems to have had a very strong red headed Buff in the near past, so she’s very marked up with buff, silver and dark spots. She is 12 weeks, 5 days old today.
What makes me think it’s a girl: Very roundy feathers all around from shoulders to tail. Not much of a tail (has never HAD much of a tail, but a few other of my orps are the same). The tail she DOES have is always held downwards, never up or pointy. No pointy saddle feathers that I can find (& I keep looking). She is Very quiet, loves to snuggle and is number 2 in the pecking order under what is an obvious female of the same age/brooder mate & doesn’t try to move up the ladder. No Saddle feathers around the tail that I can find- just more roundy edged feathers. Legs are just as chunky as a few of the others girls.
What makes me worried Boy stuff: she had a comb & waddles early. Very pink and reddish (Another chick we had gotten at the same time as her, also got them at the same time, but he started crowing a few weeks ago and was rehomed already.) All the rest of my girls have short stubs of combs and mini waddles. She has shimmery feathers all along her neck and in her wings- iridescent shimmer ones- BUT that is not new; those have been there since she was a few weeks old. I did find some thinner less round feathers today deep in the fluff, but those were super high up (Half way up the back more near the wing joint than the tail).
This is my most loved chicken, and every day I’m convinced it’s a boy, then a girl and then back again so I have emotional whiplash day to day. I keep hearing from others “my hens had huge red combs early too so don’t worry!” Or “all that red means roo!” Or “those are girl feathers” and “girls don’t get shimmery feathers like that around the neck”…. So help a girl out and let me know what you think! I’m trying to emotionally prepare for it being a boy, but every day my hope grows but so does my heart and I’m afraid of hearing a crow when I’ve finally accepted it’s a girl!
This is my first flock ever and I’ve already had to rehome my 2nd fave due to crowing a few weeks ago and don’t want that to catch me off guard again.
