Exchequer leghorn- 8 weeks old - hen or roo??? (photos)

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LONDON HENS said:
Yeah this one did turn out to be a guy! 18 weeks old now!
Click to expand...
now my girls have a much bigger comb and waddles they have had them for awhile now and there both girls poping out eggs.




found this on other site and it really helped me know what kind of bird I have:

Q: How can I tell if my juvenile bird is a rooster?
A: Comb size and redness can be one indicator, but is not usually reliable. In fact, it's one of the worst indicators you can use, as comb size varies by breed and even individual. For instance, one of my hens has a larger comb than any of her sisters of the same breed, and a larger comb than any of my roosters, too.

When sexing most juveniles, the best, most fail-safe method is to look at the saddle feathers in front of the tail when the bird is about 3 months old. By that age, cockerels will have long and pointy saddle feathers, while a hen's will be rounded. This will indicate for sure whether you have a cockerel or a pullet in every breed but Silkies and Sebrights. You will also be able to see long, curving sickle feathers in the tail of the rooster as he gets a little older.

Crowing is a fairly good indicator, but isn't fail-safe, either. Plus, generally speaking, you will be able to tell by feathers much earlier since roosters don't usually begin to crow until they are 4 or 5 months old. However, we have had roosters wait until a little later, and begin a little sooner, too. Plus, hens will occasionally crow, so even crowing doesn't tell you for sure. To reiterate, the BEST way to tell for sure is by looking at physical characteristics that cannot be mistaken, so check feather shape when your birds are about 3 months old, as other indications are not reliable.

For sebrights, the cockerels are "hen-feathered," meaning the males have the same shape feathers as females. For sebrights, comb size and wattle size are about the only easy way to tell. (Campines are hen feathered in other countries, but not usually so in the US.)

Sexing juvenile silkies is complicated, because you can't easily see the shape of the feathers, the comb is often hidden under the crest, and wattles are not evident in most bearded silkies. Our experts vent sex (with 90% accuracy) when the babies are a day old, but for the rest of us--and even for silkie breeders--juvenile silkies are especially hard to sex. However, there are a few telltale signs that may help you discern what you have:
 
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Anybody want this beautiful Roo? Exchequer Leghorn

London area UK (or oxford, we go there every week)??

I cant keep him any more, he is very well natured and calm.

And is very active with the hens!

This is him the other day:
His comb is much bigger than in the photos above. And his tail is even more spectacular!

 

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