Gender question - opinions needed!

[thecrumbler]

Ok, here are our chicks - bantam cochins and one bantam leghorn. They were sold as females - see the one in the front left? That's our smallest - notice the comb difference with the one on her right. FOUR of them have this red, distinct comb. I really don't want to believe that they had a really off day when they were sexing these chicks....but they don't have their secondary feathering yet, and behavior wise, I can't tell, they're all different. I'm fairly certain the leghorn is a female, and she's the top dog...

Opinions?? Thank you!!

 

[Teila]

Howdy thecrumbler

Just my humble opinion but I think your thought that “they had a really off day when they were sexing these chicks” is correct.

The size and colour of the combs is a bit scary.

At this stage, the only one I believe is a pullet is the bantam cochin you mention on the left.

 

[Blackberry18]

Hey, I can't really tell; could you get individual pictures? The one of the front right looks like it has a beard and muff, is that the supposed Leghorn? I can't really see if it has feathered legs. The left one looks like a White Bantam Cochin, pullet, but the other two look like cockerels (sorry!). Try to post individual pics, I'm kind of doubting that the Leghorn (if I'm looking at the right one).

 

[thecrumbler]

Thank you Teila! I'm afraid I'm going to have to admit it...we had plans for one possible rooster but not four! Or more...
Blackberry, here are some more pics...the leghorn wasn't in the first one. Still more comb than the cocchins but hoping she is...well, a she!

 

[Blackberry18]

Aw, a Light Brown Leghorn (always loved Leghorns). That looks like a female to me; their combs get really large compared to most females and lop over. In the other picture, the one on the left is a pullet, the other cockerel. But, I'm going to honest and say I'm still confused about the cheek muffs and beard, also the beak color should be yellow on White Cochins, not dark. What color are the legs?

 

[thecrumbler]

Phew, I had Leghorns growing up and I was pretty sure she's a girl. She has a great personality (her name is Easter - my son thought she was an easter egger/americauna regardless of her being a bantam )

If they're a different breed than cochins (which I've never had) I'm not sure - they told me the white ones were all that breed. Their legs are all white under the feathers. Then theres that dark spot on their beaks...theres very slight mottling on their feathers, like a gray dapple, almost unnoticeable - won't show up on camera well at all.

Oh, dear, what are we going to do with all these extra roosters...and we need more girls!

 

[Blackberry18]

Phew, I had Leghorns growing up and I was pretty sure she's a girl. She has a great personality (her name is Easter - my son thought she was an easter egger/americauna regardless of her being a bantam

)

If they're a different breed than cochins (which I've never had) I'm not sure - they told me the white ones were all that breed. Their legs are all white under the feathers. Then theres that dark spot on their beaks...theres very slight mottling on their feathers, like a gray dapple, almost unnoticeable - won't show up on camera well at all.

Oh, dear, what are we going to do with all these extra roosters...and we need more girls!

haha I love Leghorns!

I don't think those are White Cochins, they should have standard white feathers, and yellow beaks and legs. You mentioned they came from a hatchery, so maybe hatchery-quality Cochins, probably with some different genetics; yellow legs are standard for all Cochin varieties, but the mottling could be caused by genes from a Silver-Laced Cochin, also due to the dark beak. I also am curious about the muff and beard.

I get what you mean by too many cocks; I once had three cockerels and three pullets. Horrible.

PLEASE let me know how the birds turn out!

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

They look like porcelain D'Uccles, definitely not Cochins. Still adorable,but quite a few of them do appear to be cockerels....

 

[thecrumbler]

Thank you everyone! I looked up d'uccles and I think they also messed up the breed. Wow. It's the beards, they look like little d'uccles! Oh my. I'll have to see how their feathers come in after their first molt I suppose. I doubt we'll be able to find a place for the guys so I may just have to build a bachelor pad...they all have fantastic personalities even if theyre not laying eggs...haha!

 

[coxrb13]

Try this.