My Welsummers

[bwalden]

What I'm wondering now is....are the first breast feathers the true adult colors, or can they can change during one of the juvenile mini molts?

They change in males especially. But both males and female change somewhat until their juvenile molts are finished.

 

[aart]

So all bets are off until 4-6 months....sigh.

 

[bwalden]

Well if you have a pullet and a roo, which I believe that you do. You should know for sure at around 5-6 weeks. Comb and waddle development with males will be much more evident than in females. They will be bright red 5-6 week range. It shouldn't take near 4-6 months to know for sure.

 

[aart]

I do hope you are correct bwalden.....It will be interesting to observe the progression, regardless of the outcome.
As with most everything, I'm hoping for the best and prepared for the worst.

 

[Opa]

Once I am certain of the sex of a new batch of chicks I cull the cockerels I don't need. I have kept them as long as 18 weeks and there still wasn't enough meat on the to justify the expense of raining them.

 

[aart]

It was weekly photo day today.

Female at 5 weeks:


Male at 4 weeks....
.....he's starting to show some wattle I think...and his comb and wattle seem to redden up if he's agitated.

 

[aart]

Just like bwalden predicted, I am now fully convinced that my female is a female and my male is a male.
So I continue to take pics each week.....It's HARD to take pics of chicks, they never stop moving.... and I'm kind of a lousy photographer anyway.

At 6 weeks Wilma seems to have most her first feathers.











At 5 weeks Woody has definite wattles coming in...and his breast feathers are starting to fill in a mix of 'red' and black.

 

[bwalden]

Looking good! Now you'll have fertile eggs to hatch if you choose to.

 

[aart]

Looking good! Now you'll have fertile eggs to hatch if you choose to.

Well, maybe.
Not sure the roo will stay around, I already have a roo, he's a dark brahma mutt but I like him and he only stays because he's sweet and I like the looks of him....tho I'm tempted to eat him, harvested his son this weekend.

Plus, I think these two Wellies were begat by sibs, and they are sibs.....I know line breeding isn't necessarily cause for concern with chooks and I'm not raising for show...but it does give me pause.

We'll see how things work out. I'm just really glad one is definitely a hen!!
I can't wait to see what she looks like as an adult, they are gorgeous birds, and see what color eggs she throws.

I'm usually adamantly a function over form kind of folk....but I am partial to the pretty that Welsummers can bring.

 

[aart]

Woody and Wilma at 7 and 8 weeks.