[mintymoos]

 :(hi, hope someone out there can please help. I got 2 chickens at easter from selby auction. Sold as "Pair of orpington pullets", i think they`re 4-5 months old now. They`re both making pretty good attempts at crowing, mostly at the end of excited rosey sessions, with a few solitary crows. They have big headgear too. I put them for sale online, and got a reply saying "why on earth did i think they were cockerels, they look like like bluebell hybrid hens" That put doubt in my mind, But, 1 of them flattens itself like a hen does, when i put my hand on it`s back! help, thanks

[Thrift]

I saw a programme ( maybe River Cottage ) where they sexed poultry by placing a piece of white card beneath the feathers on the base of the neck where it meets the shoulder.

Apparently if the feathers have rounded tips it's a hen ..... pointed and it's a cockerel.

[evie2]

What are their tail feathers like?

[mintymoos]

hi, they just look like normal tail feathers really, not cockerally at all

[chloe]

If they are atempting to crow there definatly boys.. How old are they because they both look like boys to me because they have bright red comes and wattles and there pretty big already. But how old are they?

[mintymoos]

hi, i think they are about 4, maybe 5 months old. They only looked about 6/8 weeks old when i got them at easter,

[GrannieAnnie]

They look like girls to me too.  No cockerally tail feathers there.  Do blue Orpingtons look like that?  As they look like my Bluebelles too!  But they look like they should be laying by now with combs that size and that red.

Do they sound like a definite crow?  Some hens squawks sound a bit like crowing!

[mintymoos]

hi, it does sound quite crowey, like "arrghh ah arrgh ah arrgh", that`s probably the best i can describe it i think

[mintymoos]

sometimes they just go "AAARRRGGGHHHH"

[evie2]

I wish there was sound with that Minty 

[mintymoos]

I know, it would make a great ring tone

[GrannieAnnie]

But surely cockerels go cock a doodle doo???   not AAAARRRRRGGGGHHHH?
 

[joyfull]

The neck feather idea doesn't always work either - Danny my silkie cross had tail feathers, large comb and pointy neck feathers, then at about 6 months he lost his tail feathers and started to lay eggs (still has pointy neck feathers though) and is now called Dannii 

[Casey76]

Coo... they don't look anything like orpingtons!

Girl orpingtons have very reserved head gear, and shouldnùt have any white on their ear lobes.  I've never seen a full grown hen Bluebelle, so it might be possible they are bluebelles.

Pullets/hens can make quite a lot of noise, but a crow is usually a definite 3 ot 4 syllable noise which rises and falls, though when they are just starting boys can come out with all kinds of squawks!

[mintymoos]

Hi everyone, thanks for all your help,  i`ve had a look at their neck feathers this morning, they look like rounded points, but they don`t really look any pointier than the feathers on my scruffy sussex(i don`t think she likes being white at all). I don`t know, i wish they came with a little lable under their wing saying what they were, would make things much easier!