One Obvious Roo; Could Others Be Laying Low With the Hens?? (5 Weeks)

[ChickieChickieMama]

My flock will be five weeks old on Tuesday. We have one OBVIOUS cockerel...was sold as a sexed Welsummer Pullet but doesn't appear to be either. He's a handsome and proud one though...and takes excellent care of his flock...herding them around, inspecting their surroundings and of course, sprawling out and admiring himself all the time.

However, I have THREE other chicks that seem to be developing slightly Pinker combs that make me wonder if they are cockerels too, but they don't behave at all like he does and they all hang out together with the hens. Is it possible they are just more submissive roosters or would they have demonstrated some sort of behaviors by now? They don't even appear to have a pecking order....they're all passive and sweet and cuddly together (a flock of eight total: 2 red Comets, a buff cochin (suspected roo), a bantam black cochin (suspected roo), a bantam golden seabright (suspected roo), a bantam Mille Fleur D'uccle, and two unknowns sold as Wellsummer pullets (including obvious rooster).

The two cochins both have more red or pink in their combs but also have some yellow...is that just a Cochin trait? I know the Seabright can't be feather sexed, but that comb is starting to look a little more red to me.... My buff cochin Gladys is all up in everyone's business and is the "mama hen" of the group so I could easily see her being a cockerel but Delilah the seabright and Estelle the black cochin are both snuggly little babies. Is it possible they're cockerels???

The likely suspects: Seabright, Cochin, Unknown Cockerel (I'm guessing Brown Leghorn?)

My darling little baby Cochin....she's the one that comes running to cuddle whenever she hears my voice. She's a he isn't she??

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Cochin has s probably a cockerel.The two birds in the second (The two in the left)are maybe cockerels but I would give them some time.

 

[JedJackson]

In picture 1 there are two obvious cockerels- the one on the board, and the one on the opposite side with the unfeathered line of skin down the middle of his breast.

In picture two, it looks like there are at least two cockerels- the red bird and the one next to him with the huge single comb.

The black cochin is also a cockerel.

Wish it was better news.

 

[ChickieChickieMama]

The other bird on the right in the first pic is my other so-called welsummer pullet. In another thread we've been debating what breed or sex she is too and earlier it wad suggested she was a cockerel but now that she's older her comb (although a little bigger than my other pullets) isn't red and since she has had the same feathering patterns (but less black more brown as she grows up) as the definite cockerel, I've been assuming she's the pullet version of him, whatever breed that may be....but what do you see that makes you think she's a rooster too? I'm new to ask this and I'm loving learning about it!!! That however would make a possible FIVE of my eight that are all roosters.

Recent pics:

In this last one that's her in front and the definite cockerel (who was supposed to be her identical sister) in behind her.

Any idea also what breed either of them are?

Thanks!

 

[ChickieChickieMama]

And this is a closeup of my golden seabright's comb.

I've got five cockerels, haven't I?

 

[drumstick diva]

seems like it - sorry

 

[JedJackson]

The other bird on the right in the first pic is my other so-called welsummer pullet. In another thread we've been debating what breed or sex she is too and earlier it wad suggested she was a cockerel but now that she's older her comb (although a little bigger than my other pullets) isn't red and since she has had the same feathering patterns (but less black more brown as she grows up) as the definite cockerel, I've been assuming she's the pullet version of him, whatever breed that may be....but what do you see that makes you think she's a rooster too? I'm new to ask this and I'm loving learning about it!!! That however would make a possible FIVE of my eight that are all roosters.

Recent pics:
View attachment 1376744

View attachment 1376746 View attachment 1376745
In this last one that's her in front and the definite cockerel (who was supposed to be her identical sister) in behind her.

Any idea also what breed either of them are?
I'm getting a little confused with all these pictures but I will re-post the one most helpful, here, so I can use it for reference.

Thanks!

The confirmed cockerel at back is not a Welsummer. It has a lighter build and is off in color. I'm thinking he might be a Leghorn, Icelandic, game, or some type of mix, but he is not a Welsummer. In the third new picture, with them all in the box, the bird in front of him looks much more like a Welsummer because he is heavier and plumper, not lightly built at all, and has redder coloring. And, sorry to say, he is definitely a cockerel. The black feathers at the breast give him away, but he also has thick legs, a large comb, and patchy coloring. He's just slower to develop than the other one.

Of the rest, I'm pretty sure the black cochin is a boy. The red cochin probably is, too, but that one is more of a toss up so far. The Sebright is probably a pullet, but you won't know for sure for a while more.

 

[ChickieChickieMama]

Hahaha I've been stressing this whole time about those two so-called Welsummer Pullets and whether they both were cockerels (I really wanted those beautiful dark brown speckled eggs!) and I was able to keep myself in a little state of denial by saying that the smaller one couldn't be a cockerel because she looked just like the rest of my pullets in terms of legs, stance, comb etc....turns out I've been comparing him to other cockerels instead of pullets all along anyway though....Hahaha!

 

[ChickieChickieMama]

Okay, so now I'm totally paranoid....someone tell me my other three aren't roos too???

This is Mabel...my Bantam Mille Fleur D'uccle. I'm trying to ignore that bit of pink in her comb.....

And then my two Golden Comet sexed pullets - though the store managed to mess up my two sexed Welsummer pullets too....so I wouldn't be surprised. The slightly darker one is Lucille and makes me nervous in the is she a he department. The lighter one is Babette and a total sweetheart...she of all eight of them HAS TO BE A PULLET, right?!

Perched next to what are probably all roosters.

Two probable roos on the left, a definite one in the middle...please tell me not two more on the right.

 

[JedJackson]

The two Golden Comets are definitely girls. They are a red sex link variety, so you're pretty much guaranteed pullets with those. The touch of pink in Mabel's comb is a little concerning, but that's the only male trait the bird has. And bantams can develop very early. So I think she could well be a pullet. I would keep an eye on her, though.

I feel bad that you ended up with so many cockerels. It's a bummer. Many of us have gone through the same thing. You might try the feed store or hatchery to see if they will trade the would be Welsummers for pullets, or at least give you a refund.

You may also be able to find started Welsummer pullets somewhere. It's worth the extra cost to know you are getting what you want. If you do find some, look for birds with salmon or rusty red colored breast feathers. Avoid any that have any black in the breast feathers.