[caroline800]

I think one of the 3 Barnevelder fattener cockerels might be a hen..... 

A while back I got 3 Barnevelder cockerels nobody wanted to fatten up for the pot.  Then the fox got in the hens and so the 4 remaining warrens got put in with them as the pen is more secure and hopefully more protection with the bigger birds.  The warrens have been moulting, but are a couple of years old (not exactly how old!) so not laying but before their eggs were usually light brown and medium sized.

For the last 3 days there has been one large almost perfect shape chocolate brown egg each day.....which looks like (goggled!) a Barnevelder egg?

All 3 of the Barnevelders seem to have the saddle feathers, large combs and aren't laced (block coloured), but one of them does seem a little smaller comb and has a lot of feathers coming on its face more than the other two.....I'll try to get some pictures tomorrow, but is it possible one is a hen with that sort of colouring?? 

The guy I got them from hatched eggs he bought, so could it be some sort of cross? 

Either way, it's good to have some eggs again and they are really nice big ones too 

[New shoot]

As you say, lovely chocolate brown eggs are a bonus, whatever her ancestry 

[Sassy]

Go with the flow, seems like a bonus 

[Flowerpower136]

Yay! Sounds like you've got a girlie.  . What a bonus!  Only 2 for the pot then.

[grinling]

Can you see them crowing?

[caroline800]

Can you see them crowing?

only one so far........first picture = definitely a boy

the second picture is is the one I think may be a girl.....

the third picture is the three of them (bit blurry!!) showing the differences..... the two I think are definitely boys have clear orange/ginger blocks around their collars, but the other one???

 

[greenjay]

difficult to tell.
 in the middle picture the curl of the tail feathers make me think cockerel
 the third picture does look as if it could be a hen.
beautiful birds anyway and a hen a big bonus

[Beekissed]

Yes, the second pic looks like a hen to me when compared to the other two.  Bonus!!!!   

[grinling]

might be a cross with a black copper maran

[caroline800]

Thanks for all the replies

the odd one certainly seems to be marked and carries itself differently to the others, so fingers crossed 

They are really lovely birds and now getting quite friendly too

Will update if I work out what it is