4.5 Week Old White Leghorn - Pullet or Rooster?

Ugh! It looks like I have 2 WL Roos. Anyone else have any thoughts about this?
400
 
I am not convinced they are cockerels quite yet. They generally have more waddle development by 4 weeks. I've had quite a few WL pullets that had faster developing combs that were pinker than the rest, but there waddles remained undeveloped until 14-16 weeks. I use this Chart as a point of reference for mine. Hope it helps.

http://lancaster.unl.edu/4h/embryology/ChickGrowthDevelopment17x22.pdf
 
The two that are the suspected cockerels are only 3 weeks old. Still hoping they are pullets, but compared with my other chicks, their combs are huge and pinkish. Wattles are also pinkish. The next week or so, we should know for sure.
 
Update: Well, both chicks, pictured in previous post, are indeed cockerels. Yesterday, we lost one of our three year old WL hens to what we suspect was a hawk. Until yesterday, we had never lost a chicken to a predator, as we are usually right with our girls when they are free ranging. Needless to say, yesterday was a hard and emotional day. In hopes of warding off future attacks, my husband has agreed we need to keep at least one rooster. Maybe even both of them.
 
So funny.

I just got some WLchicks from Meyers about five weeks ago and I was googling the old roo vs pullet question when I stumbled onto this thread. I was reading it and found my old posted question about our first chickens we ever owned. We had hatched them from shipped eggs as a homeschool project.

FYI. My shorter lighter yellow combed chick was the only pullet. All the bigger pink combed chicks were roos.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom