Pullet or cockerel?

[Tritney]

Both of these chicks were purchased as pullets in May, at a local farm store, making them 9ish weeks. From the beginning they have always been bigger and more developed than their brooder mates, which were all picked off by a raven 4 weeks ago. The gray one is a blue sapphire and the brown one is a speckled Sussex’s. Pullet or cockerel?

 

[chickenlittle21]

Cockerels

 

[Gray Farms]

Both cockerels

 

[Tritney]

Cockerels

This is my thought as well, but the blue sapphire is a sex link, which makes me wonder about it the most.

 

[Gray Farms]

This is my thought as well, but the blue sapphire is a sex link, which makes me wonder about it the most.

They are a sexlink. Pullets are blue and cockerels are blue barred.

 

[Tritney]

They are a sexlink. Pullets are blue and cockerels are blue barred.

So because it has the barring it indicates male? This is only the second round of chicks I have raised so I am pretty new to this. When would I expect them to start crowing?

 

[Gray Farms]

So because it has the barring it indicates male? This is only the second round of chicks I have raised so I am pretty new to this. When would I expect them to start crowing?

The comb is more of a give away than the barring, but yes your correct. They'll start crowing around 10/12 weeks unless they are low in the pecking order then they may not crow much or at all.

 

[Tritney]

The comb is more of a give away than the barring, but yes your correct. They'll start crowing around 10/12 weeks unless they are low in the pecking order then they may not crow much or at all.

They are all that is left of their brooder mates, the rest are only 4 weeks old, so they are the top of the pecking order right now. I guess I’ll keep an ear out for their first crows in the coming weeks.

 

[chrissynemetz]

Sorry but yes, both are cockerels.

 

[Tritney]

Sorry but yes, both are cockerels.

No need to be sorry. It is the name of the game with chicks. I just wanted to confirm my suspicion more or less.