Hen or roo??? 4 cute Plymouth rock

[MysteryChicken]

Their head type is very faulty. Their head shape is referred to as crow head which is produced by very poor bred birds.

 

[The Happster]

I just looked at the comb of number 2, which looks like a cushion comb.

Some maybe pure, while some maybe crossed.

To have double Barred males, a Barred male must breed with a Barred female. All the males are double Barred.

Legs looked grey too, in the first photos, but I'm assuming that's the light.

Right, thanks.
To say I'm fuzzy on genetics would be the understatement of the century.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Legs looked grey too, in the first photos, but I'm assuming that's the light.

Right, thanks.
To say I'm fuzzy on genetics would be the understatement of the century.

Okay.

You're welcome. I'm still studying genetics, & experimenting too.


I wonder what the one bird was crossed with?

 

[Noam]

Legs looked grey too, in the first photos, but I'm assuming that's the light.

Right, thanks.
To say I'm fuzzy on genetics would be the understatement of the century.

They have white legs, two with a black strife.
One of them is with some feathers on the legs....
I guess they are all mix genetics but what sex????

 

[The Happster]

They have white legs, two with a black strife.
One of them is with some feathers on the legs....
I guess they are all mix genetics but what sex????

#2 & #4 are cockerels.
Need better photos of the other two to be positive, but they appear to be pullets.

 

[Noam]

#2 & #4 are cockerels.
Need better photos of the other two to be positive, but they appear to be pullets.

Thanks!!! How do you that? By what ?

 

[NatJ]

Their barring gives them away—the males will look more white than black, and the females will look more black than white. Someone else will be able to explain it better (barring genetics), but that’s a basic description!

That applies no matter what breed or cross they are.

The barring gene is on the Z (sex) chromosome.
A hen has one Z chromosome, so she can have one copy of the barring gene. She will be darker, like your birds #1 & 3.

A rooster has two Z chromosomes, so he can have two copies of the barring gene. Two copies makes him lighter, like #2 & 4.

It is also possible for a rooster can have only one copy of barring (on one Z chromosome but not the other.) When that happens, he is dark like #1 & 3. Black Sexlink roosters are like that.

So #2 and #4 must be male, because only a male can ever have two copies of the barring gene.

But #1 and #3 could (by color) be male or female. For them, we have to look at other traits, like comb size & color, and when they get older we can look for pointy saddle feathers (only males grow those.)
At this time, I am not sure of the gender of the darker two.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Cross breeds, and they ALL seem like boys.

 

[Noam]

Hi
I am posting a few more pics two weeks later of the chickens considered as cookerels... I think they start having head crown like feathers, is that a sure thing they are males?
The first one-
1.

The second one- two pics
2.


Thanks!!

 

[The Happster]

Hi
I am posting a few more pics two weeks later of the chickens considered as cookerels... I think they start having head crown like feathers, is that a sure thing they are males?
The first one-
1. View attachment 2366080

The second one- two pics
2. View attachment 2366081
View attachment 2366082

Thanks!!

All three of those are cockerels.