4 week Salmon Faverolle & Leghorn - Roos?

[Suburban Sprouts]

After a bunch of predator attacks this year, I had to buy chicks from a hatchery for the first time in years (I usually like to let my broody hens hatch out fertile eggs). Back when I first got into chickens, I ordered from this hatchery and ordered sexed female chicks and all of them were accurate. With this batch (14 chicks) I can already tell that one of my mottled cochins is a cockerel... And now I'm suspicious of my Salmon Faverolle and a chick that I think is likely a brown Leghorn. I've wanted a Salmon Faverolle for YEARS so I'm super disappointed. "She" is sprouting some black feathers on her chest and my understanding is that only males get black feathers on the body... True? As for the Leghorn, I'm assuming that's what she is. I have a Welsummer and a Brown Leghorn and they look ridiculously similar but one of them has a significantly larger comb that any 4 week old chicks I've ever had. However, I have never had a Leghorn and I understand that even the females have really big combs at a young age because that breed has an exceptionally large comb in general. Anyway, here are the best pics I could get this morning. They're hard to photograph when they're running around and it's a bit of a misty morning.

 

[junebuggena]

The Faverolle could go either way at this point. Usually only males have black through the chest, but hatcheries tend to produce 'smutty' or poorly marked females, making it difficult to determine gender. The Leghorn or Welsummer is definitely female, though.

 

[Gray Farms]

Faverolle is a pullet. I think the Welsummer/Leghorn is as well.

 

[Sherloki]

Agree with junebuggena on the Faverolle. My faverolle pullet had a completely black chest for awhile, but as she's aged it's almost all white now and she just has a bit of black by her neck.



You can see here that she had a bit of black still on her chest, which used to be completely black. So I wouldnt' give up hope just yet.

 

[donrae]

I agree that's your Leghorn, and she's a she. The larger combs do freak out folks, but a male would have a black breast. He'd also have a larger comb and it would be much redder, even this young.

I do think that Faverolles is a pullet. I have a couple hatchery Faverolles pullets that are also pretty dark, they must just have some crappy stock the last few years. A better pic of the Faverolles would help, though. I'll let keesmom make the final call, she's got the Faverolles eye.

 

[Suburban Sprouts]

Thanks everyone! That makes me feel much better and gives me hope!

 

[keesmom]

I do think that Faverolles is a pullet.

I agree, the Faverolles is a pullet. So is the Leghorn.

I can already tell that one of my mottled cochins is a cockerel..

Hatcheries only offer mottled Cochins in bantam sized, not LF. So unless you ordered from MPC and specifically ordered pullets, then a cockerel isn't unexpected.

 

[drumstick diva]

agree with donrae

 

[Suburban Sprouts]

I agree, the Faverolles is a pullet. So is the Leghorn.

Hatcheries only offer mottled Cochins in bantam sized, not LF. So unless you ordered from MPC and specifically ordered pullets, then a cockerel isn't unexpected.

Yes, I ordered from MPC and requested females. I know the bantams are harder to sex so I'm not irritated or anything. Actually the mottled cochin was the only breed/coloring that I got two of and the other looks like a girl to me so I'm feeling good.