Pullets or cockerels? (Light Sussex cross, Australorp cross and Silkie)

[Mojo the Monkey]

Hi all, I currently have 3 chickens all of which approx 15 weeks old. I'm fairly certain the Sussex is a roo, in the last few days it has started a half-arsed attempt at a crow but the Australorp has me stumped. To my newbie eyes it has a lot of roo characteristics (upright stance, pointy heckle feathers, what looks like the beginnings of saddle feathers, long tail feathers) however up until the last few weeks (12-13 weeks old) it has had no comb to speak of and is quite smaller than the Sussex.... as for the Silkie I have no idea whatsoever, although that one (Cherrybomb as my 5 year old has named it) is more of a pet than layer I'm not so fussed if he/she turns out to be a roo...

Sussex (ish)







Australorp (ish)










Silkie



Any guidance would be extremely appreciated! Thanks in advance, your friendly neigborhood Monkey :-D

 

[sourland]

The Sussex and the EE (it's not an Australorp) are both cockerels. I'm not sure about the silky.

 

[debid]

I do believe it's an all-boys club. I see red on the Silkie's wing which is a male trait. The EE is 100% male -- females never look like that. The Sussex looks to be getting rooster plumage at the neck and saddle.

 

[sourland]

I just clicked on and enlarged the silky picture and agree with debid. You have 3 cockerels.

 

[Mojo the Monkey]

Thanks all for confirming my suspicions :-(

 

[Chickenfan4life]

Hi all, I currently have 3 chickens all of which approx 15 weeks old. I'm fairly certain the Sussex is a roo, in the last few days it has started a half-arsed attempt at a crow but the Australorp has me stumped. To my newbie eyes it has a lot of roo characteristics (upright stance, pointy heckle feathers, what looks like the beginnings of saddle feathers, long tail feathers) however up until the last few weeks (12-13 weeks old) it has had no comb to speak of and is quite smaller than the Sussex.... as for the Silkie I have no idea whatsoever, although that one (Cherrybomb as my 5 year old has named it) is more of a pet than layer I'm not so fussed if he/she turns out to be a roo...

Sussex (ish)







Australorp (ish)










Silkie



Any guidance would be extremely appreciated! Thanks in advance, your friendly neigborhood Monkey :-D

The light Sussex is definitely a cockerel/rooster.

The AustralorpX is a definite cockerel/rooster.

The Silkie looks more like a pullet/hen to me.

Beautiful birds; have fun with 'em!