Icelandic/Hedemora x chicks - time to start guessing :P

[Trisseh]

Hello again everyone!
I have a group of 8 Icelandic/hedemora cross chicks I hatched out. The oldest of the group are now 4 weeks, then I have a few 3 week olds and 2 week olds. I’ll add the youngest 3 later, they’re not looking any different yet. This is just to start my thread, and get opinions and guesses because, well, it’s fun! Haha. I’ll put pics of the parent stock below as well.

Oldest, 4 weeks: (KFC, no name, and Drumstick) I have my suspicions here. Lol. Don’t we all love those early developing cockerels?

3 weeks: (Cacciatore and no name)

Sire (Icelandic)

Dam (Hedemora)

 

[casportpony]

All look like house to me, but I'm not very good at sexing.

 

[Trisseh]

All look like house to me, but I'm not very good at sexing.

I do seem to hatch a LOT of cockerels. Haha. For whatever reason. I’m holding out hope for the smallest of the oldest. It’s got a smaller comb and no real wattle development yet. And behaviour wise, it acts a lot like their mama did as a chick. The youngest 3 are still too little so maybe there’ll be one pullet out of that bunch. It’s hard to know who is developing more comb size because they favour the Icelandic side vs being boys...
I hope I wind up with at least one pullet, otherwise I guess I’ll be putting a lot of chicken in the freezer and hatching a lot more eggs.

 

[Painted Calls]

All look like house to me, but I'm not very good at sexing.

I've never been good at sexing houses either.

Chicks 1, 3, and 4 look like cockerels. Chick 1 could still go either way. The last chick could really go either way as well.

Post updated pics in 2-4 more weeks.

 

[Trisseh]

I've never been good at sexing houses either.

Chicks 1, 3, and 4 look like cockerels. Chick 1 could still go either way. The last chick could really go either way as well.

Post updated pics in 2-4 more weeks.

You’re seeing the same things I am then. Lol. It’s hard to get the colouring to show properly in pictures, but the first chick has no real color to the comb, it’s just a little larger than chick 2’s. That first chick was ridiculously noisy and friendly at hatch so I assumed cockerel right off the bat, but...

I find it so much easier to sex other people’s birds that I haven’t seen every day since they hatched... haha.

 

[Painted Calls]

You’re seeing the same things I am then. Lol. It’s hard to get the colouring to show properly in pictures, but the first chick has no real color to the comb, it’s just a little larger than chick 2’s. That first chick was ridiculously noisy and friendly at hatch so I assumed cockerel right off the bat, but...

I find it so much easier to sex other people’s birds that I haven’t seen every day since they hatched... haha.

Funny how we sort of get blind to our own, huh?

Should be interesting to see how they develop in the next few weeks. Hoping the two questionable chicks turn out to be fast developing pullets!

 

[Trisseh]

Funny how we sort of get blind to our own, huh?

Should be interesting to see how they develop in the next few weeks. Hoping the two questionable chicks turn out to be fast developing pullets!

It’s so true! It makes so much sense to me now why so many people are adamant that their obvious cockerel can’t be. Lol. The signs get missed as they gradually come in.

These birds are supposed to be part of my project group with the few hedemora that I have, so I need at least one pullet out of the bunch. Haha.

I’ll for sure update again in a couple of weeks, and add the youngest trio as well at that point. thanks guys!

 

[Trisseh]

Alright so! 6 weeks for the oldest, 5 weeks for the next 2, and 4 weeks for the last 3. I’ll post everyone today, I didn’t bother putting up the littles before now.

The 6 week olds:

Astrid (used to be KFC but I’m leaning toward pullet now so...)

Vilde (was chick 2 above, fairly certain this one is a pullet)

Drumstick (this one was an obvious cockerel for a while already - he’s a bit pale because he got hit pretty hard with coccidia. Doing better now but still pale)

 

[Trisseh]

The 5 week olds:

cacciatore (pretty obvious cockerel)

chick 5 (I was hoping this one was a pullet but looking pretty masculine to me.)

 

[Trisseh]

Annnnd the 4 week olds.

why did both of these chicks that are this color turn out to be male? Lol. This one is about 1/3 bigger than its hatch mates.

chick 7 (hoping pullet, and my favorite)

Chick 8 (presumed pullet thus far)