Exchequer Leghorn...Boy or Girl?

[GreenMum]

I have five exchequer leghorns, all coming up on four months old. Two have minimal combs, three have significant combs but are still pinkish except the one who has a very red comb. I've read that these birds are known for early development of combs and wattles so I'm thinking that they may all be pullets. I have seen no evidence of saddle feathers and quite honestly the cape feathers look the same on the birds with the minimal combs as on the one with the very red comb. Both pics are the same bird, the second is the best I could get of the back side of her (please please please be a her). Thoughts?

 

[enola]

Pictures of the rest of the "girls" will probably help us make up our minds.........

 

[Veer67]

Pictures of the rest of the flock and pictures of the side view and tail would help. http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGK/Leghorns/BRKLeghorns.html

 

[Wyandottes7]

How old is he/she? If younger than eight weeks or so, I'd guess cockerel. Leghorns develop combs sooner than other slower maturing chickens, but a large comb like this one makes me think male. If he/she's older than eight weeks, you may have a female.

 

[GreenMum]

Pictures of the rest of the "girls" will probably help us make up our minds.........

Pictures of the rest of the flock and pictures of the side view and tail would help. http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGK/Leghorns/BRKLeghorns.html

I'm on my way out to the coop shortly. I'll see what I can do about some more and better pics. Thanks for the input

 

[GreenMum]

How old is he/she? If younger than eight weeks or so, I'd guess cockerel. Leghorns develop combs sooner than other slower maturing chickens, but a large comb like this one makes me think male. If he/she's older than eight weeks, you may have a female.

This one is coming up on four months, so.. (quick math here lol) 16 weeks. I am wondering because I thought I heard three cockerels trying out their cock-a-doodle-doo's a while back. The one was crowing every morning 13 times at sunrise and then periodically throughout the day. My neighbour will not tolerate roosters, so he unfortunately had to move on to higher pastures. The other one is most definitely a roo, but his crow is very quiet and infrequent. I'm going to grow him out a bit more. Come to think of it, there has been only one incident of quasi-crowing since that first boy was dispatched...hmmm...

 

[Kelsie2290]

You'd think you would be seeing some sort of male feathering by four months in a male leghorn, and by then some of the girls could be getting close to lay which would hopefully explain the bigger comb. They don't come hen feathered do they?

 

[Wyandottes7]

You'd think you would be seeing some sort of male feathering by four months in a male leghorn, and by then some of the girls could be getting close to lay which would hopefully explain the bigger comb. They don't come hen feathered do they?

No, the only breed that is hen-feathered is the Sebright Bantam (though Campines have a modified version of it).

 

[GreenMum]

You'd think you would be seeing some sort of male feathering by four months in a male leghorn, and by then some of the girls could be getting close to lay which would hopefully explain the bigger comb. They don't come hen feathered do they?

I didn't realize that hen feathered was an actual thing...I thought you were commiserating with me about not knowing. I'm really glad I somehow didn't submit the response I had earlier. If you were commiserating with me, it was funny, but given the actuality of it all it was a pretty dumb statement! I learned something new today!

 

[AraucanaAnnie]

I think a girl. I don't see hackles or saddles, and leghorns get big combs very fast. She looks like a POL (point of lay) pullet!