Hello, I breed Appenzeller Spitzhaubens. I would like to help you. You can also refer to our member page, Appenzeller Spitzhauben Club of America which is on Facebook.
Sometimes, yes they are to sex than other breeds, you can tell by the color and/or "design" of the bonnet. The bonnet is the crest. A good way of telling in mine, Silver Spangled, like yours is that the roosters typically have a whiter and lighter feathered bonnet than the pullets which have darker and fluffy bonnets. We have to remember that the Spitz originated from a bird more closer to a game bird than a typical chicken. Their disposition is almost Pigeon like.
There a some good pictures in the breed descriptions here on BYC which show "good" and "bad" Spitz examples. Anything dark and Polish like in a Spitz rooster with white dark long dark "roots" or root feathers is what I call them is often undesirable.Most hatchery birds often develop darker longer "roots" in their bonnets. At about 4 weeks and often at 6 weeks you can start to see the whiter rooster bonnet feathers develop out of the roots.
Enough babble. Here is what I think. Little guy in the back with his head up, eating feed. Wonderful girls in the rest of the pics and in the front row of the last. She has her head down. It's an opinion and who knows, I could be wrong?
Good luck, they look nice!
Little 4 week"okay" Roo.
"Roots" and white feathers.
Sometimes, yes they are to sex than other breeds, you can tell by the color and/or "design" of the bonnet. The bonnet is the crest. A good way of telling in mine, Silver Spangled, like yours is that the roosters typically have a whiter and lighter feathered bonnet than the pullets which have darker and fluffy bonnets. We have to remember that the Spitz originated from a bird more closer to a game bird than a typical chicken. Their disposition is almost Pigeon like.
There a some good pictures in the breed descriptions here on BYC which show "good" and "bad" Spitz examples. Anything dark and Polish like in a Spitz rooster with white dark long dark "roots" or root feathers is what I call them is often undesirable.Most hatchery birds often develop darker longer "roots" in their bonnets. At about 4 weeks and often at 6 weeks you can start to see the whiter rooster bonnet feathers develop out of the roots.Enough babble. Here is what I think. Little guy in the back with his head up, eating feed. Wonderful girls in the rest of the pics and in the front row of the last. She has her head down. It's an opinion and who knows, I could be wrong?
Good luck, they look nice!
Little 4 week"okay" Roo.
"Roots" and white feathers.
