Cochin cockerals-which is better quality?

[gabbyscritters]

My 8 year old daughter needs to sell off a few of her surplus roosters. She wants to do 4-H and has been raising and enjoying chickens since she was 5. We purchased bantams this year from Duane Urch in Minn. I don't know how much you can tell from the pictures, their feet are very feathered, but which cockeral appears to be "better" quality. They are just 12 weeks. They both have great temperments. Thanks

rooster #1

rooster #2 mr. poofy

 

[Lanissa86]

Well, you have a problem there.... Rooster #1 is a GIRL!

 

[gabbyscritters]

Well, see is a good thing I asked! I will have to take the 8 year back out to the barn and have her bring out her white cohins again. She knows her birds pretty good, mom does not. So either I took picture of wrong bird or ?well she is only 8. Maybe she is lucky and Mr. Poofy is the only rooster!

 

[gabbyscritters]

Ok, to sound really stupid, how to tell?
Mr. Poof has more red and bigger comb and waddles but the other hen/rooster has a bigger comb than the other white cochin girls.

Do they both appear to be good quality birds? From my untrained eye they appear to have better overall looking confirmation and feathering than other birds we have gotten in the past. Thanks

 

[Msbear]

You can sex them early by which combs redden first. A roo's combs and waddles will turn bright red way before a pullet will... she'll wait til almost laying time to redden.

At this point, it is much easier to tell. A roo's tail will be considerably larger as will his comb and waddles. Some hens will have "manly" combs and waddles but will still not be nearly as big as a males. These "manly" hens are less desirable and, if you are breeding for perfection, I'd unload her and your less desirable male as a pair.

 

[briarpatchfarms]

Evenif its not a hen #2 looks better from these pics anyway LOL!

 

[Goose and Fig]

They look really good for being 12 weeks! I'd keep them both.

 

[kryptoniteqhs]

if theyre both cockerels.....number two is better....otherwise, keep them both, as number one looks to be a pullet

 

[gabbyscritters]

#2 is Mr. Poof, I figured he probably was the boy to keep.
As to the mystery #1 hen/rooster. I really am not sure that it is a hen. The two other hens we have have no comb or color at all, they are nicely feather but do not have the body mass that #1 has.
Either way they all the cochins get along real nice so for now we will keep them until we can tell for sure. She has some nice looking Birchen Cochins also but they are even harder to tell who is hen or rooster. The one we know for sure is rooster does not have the large red comb that Mr. Poof has. SHould birchen roos have good coloring and comb by 12 weeks?

 

[Msbear]

Next time, post a few pics of each chicken in question. We cannot see the tail feathers, etc. in these birds to make a well-informed decision... so we are just guessing. Good Pics would be a close up of the head (side profile), side profile of entire body, and a head on like you posted.

At 4 months, there should be no question of sex. Geez, your hens will be laying eggs soon... that's always a good way to tell