Orpingtons- when can I assume hen or roo?

[SuperC]

I have my first flock of chickens and they are all Orpingtons; all of them are now 14 weeks old. 4 of the 5 chickens I am sure are female, but one is stumping us all (a blend of male AND female markers; more comb/waddle than the others, but rounded feathers. Short stumpy tail like a few of the other hens, but has some shimmer feather in the wings- lots of dichotomies of sexing markers ). Half the people say it’s a roo, half say hen. So, When can I stop holding my breath and know that my FAVE chicken is indeed a girl?

I know the basic answer is “when they crow, or lay an egg” but what is the general age of an Orpington to be able to feel confidant that you have a hen and not a roo. We had another Orp that crowed and was rehomed a full month ago at 10 weeks old; there was waddles, a dominant personality and of course the crowing. but this other “suspect” has had no sign of crowing at all (is acctually very quiet overall), and is submissive towards me as well as the top hen in the coop & is the number 2 in pecking order. So- When will those male hormones kick in if it’s a roo, or not kick in if it’s a hen? Can I breathe easier in a few weeks? Another 2 months?

I can’t keep a roo, but honestly as long as they don’t crow they can stay (eggs or no eggs! lol!) but she’s my favorite baby and we are bonded SO tight. She hops up in my lap the moment I sit down, she nuzzles her head in for a nap and spends every moment I’m in the run sitting on me and being affectionate (which is about 2+ hours a day). I want to keep my heart and soul detached just incase, but I’m so deep in love with this chicken that I’m stressed out every day worrying about if it’s a hen or roo and just want to know when I might be able to know either way. Days? Weeks? A few more months? What is common for a Orpington when it comes to hormones bubbling up either way.

 

[swamphiker]

Feel free to post some photos so we can help. 14 weeks should be old enough to tell the difference mainly through the comb and wattles. The pointy saddle feathers grow in a bit later.

 

[GodLovesU]

Can you post a picture?

 

[SuperC]

Feel free to post some photos so we can help. 14 weeks should be old enough to tell the difference mainly through the comb and wattles. The pointy saddle feathers grow in a bit later.

I hesitate to post photos because everyone seems to overly focus on only the pink comb/wattles and declare “Roo” & then they ignore all the other things in the photos that might indicate it’s a hen (scalloped tail feathers, a short/small tail that is always in a downwards position and so on). Everyone only looks at the comb/wattle as “proof”. But, My mom and a few friends of mine have had Orpington hens that had large and bright wattles and comb at this age and so I know a bright comb/wattle combo isn’t a “for sure” marker.

Im just curious as to how long it might be to wait for crowing and when is it safe to hope it’s a hen? Since our “Anne” was Crowing at us by week 9/10, I keep wondering why a another roo of the same breed would NOT be crowing at age 14 weeks (& be so submissive to an obvious head hen).
Maybe I’m just self deluding myself and trying to “wish” her into being a hen, but I have bonded so hard and can’t help myself

 

[NatJ]

they are all Orpingtons; all of them are now 14 weeks old. 4 of the 5 chickens I am sure are female, but one is stumping us all (a blend of male AND female markers; more comb/waddle than the others, but rounded feathers. Short stumpy tail like a few of the other hens, but has some shimmer feather in the wings- lots of dichotomies of sexing markers ). Half the people say it’s a roo, half say hen. So, When can I stop holding my breath and know that my FAVE chicken is indeed a girl?

At 14 weeks, pullets could be starting to get red combs & wattles as they get ready to start laying eggs. Or they could be late bloomers, and wait for several more months to do that. Or anytime in between.

We had another Orp that crowed and was rehomed a full month ago at 10 weeks old; there was waddles, a dominant personality and of course the crowing.

Since our “Anne” was Crowing at us by week 9/10, I keep wondering why a another roo of the same breed would NOT be crowing at age 14 weeks (& be so submissive to an obvious head hen).

It is common for chickens of the same breed to develop at about the same rate as each other, but it is unfortunately also common to see some develop faster or slower than others.

So yes, it is possible for one male to develop quickly and another male to develop much more slowly even when they are the same breed, come from the same hatchery breeding flock, and are raised at the same time (so no seasonal differences to speed up one or slow down another.)

Can I breathe easier in a few weeks? Another 2 months?

I can’t keep a roo, but honestly as long as they don’t crow they can stay (eggs or no eggs! lol!) but she’s my favorite baby and we are bonded SO tight.... I’m so deep in love with this chicken that I’m stressed out every day worrying about if it’s a hen or roo and just want to know when I might be able to know either way. Days? Weeks? A few more months?

Given the stress this is causing for you, maybe consider DNA sex testing.
https://iqbirdtesting.com/dnasexing
You pay money and send in a sample, they test to see if the bird is male or female, and you get the results.

If the bird tests female, you can probably relax.
If the bird tests male, you could start emotionally detaching, and rehome it when it crows (because almost all males crow eventually.)

In most situations, I don't think it is worth the money to get DNA sexing on chickens, because the answer will be obvious pretty soon. But some chickens take a long time to make their sex obvious (Silkies are renowned for this), and sometimes there are reasons that the owner needs to have the answer without waiting much longer (might apply in your case), so it's nice to know the option exists.

 

[swamphiker]

I hesitate to post photos because everyone seems to overly focus on only the pink comb/wattles and declare “Roo” & then they ignore all the other things in the photos that might indicate it’s a hen (scalloped tail feathers, a short/small tail that is always in a downwards position and so on). Everyone only looks at the comb/wattle as “proof”. But, My mom and a few friends of mine have had Orpington hens that had large and bright wattles and comb at this age and so I know a bright comb/wattle combo isn’t a “for sure” marker.

Im just curious as to how long it might be to wait for crowing and when is it safe to hope it’s a hen? Since our “Anne” was Crowing at us by week 9/10, I keep wondering why a another roo of the same breed would NOT be crowing at age 14 weeks (& be so submissive to an obvious head hen).
Maybe I’m just self deluding myself and trying to “wish” her into being a hen, but I have bonded so hard and can’t help myself

I've had cockerels start crowing anywhere from 3-5 months. Here's hoping she's just an early bloomer of a pullet!

 

[NatJ]

I hesitate to post photos because everyone seems to overly focus on only the pink comb/wattles and declare “Roo” & then they ignore all the other things in the photos that might indicate it’s a hen (scalloped tail feathers, a short/small tail that is always in a downwards position and so on). Everyone only looks at the comb/wattle as “proof”. But, My mom and a few friends of mine have had Orpington hens that had large and bright wattles and comb at this age and so I know a bright comb/wattle combo isn’t a “for sure” marker.

One thing about posting pictures:
If you come back and update after you know for sure, that can help other people learn that a chicken who looks "like this" at this age is really a ______. Either it confirms that red comb does mean male, or it emphasizes that pullets can sometimes have combs like that.

 

[aart]

I hesitate to post photos because everyone seems to overly focus on only the pink comb/wattles and declare “Roo” & then they ignore all the other things in the photos that might indicate it’s a hen (scalloped tail feathers, a short/small tail that is always in a downwards position and so on). Everyone only looks at the comb/wattle as “proof”. But, My mom and a few friends of mine have had Orpington hens that had large and bright wattles and comb at this age and so I know a bright comb/wattle combo isn’t a “for sure” marker.

6-8 weeks is the time to use comb/wattles color to indicate gender.
14 weeks you'd start looking for saddle/hackle feather growth.