Sexing Hybrid Chicks

[Silkie2005]

Hi all,
I have had chickens now for about ten years and have always been able to tell if a chick was a male or a female from when they were either a day old or two weeks old. This was until now. Three (almost four) weeks ago I hatched these four chicks. I have owned their family for five generations and every single cockerel (except one) has been your average cockerel colours. Now moving onto the current chicks, their mothers are commercial egg layers (ex battery hens) so I was wondering if that was why they are growing so fast! I have six cockerels already and don't have room for anymore so any boys will have to be culled. The thing is, they are brown in colour which would signify they were females but their comb and wattles are HUGE which would signify they were males. I just don't understand why they would be brown and males because I have never had a brown male so they wouldn't have it in their genetics! They are welsummer, white star, wheaten maran, cream legbar and ex battery hen crosses. These are the three that are confusing me...

Claudine

Carol

Claudette

Thank you anyone who can explain what is happening and possibly explain the genetics behind all of this. Also, what sex do you think they are?

Silkie2005

 

[aart]

Those 3 birds pictured, if about the 4-5 weeks I guess...
....are all males, by size and color of wattle and combs.

 

[Silkie2005]

That's what I thought...I am just confused why they are brown if they are boys . Their father, grandfather and great great grandfather were all normal rooster colours. Their great grandfather is white, but not brown. I am so confused! Chicken genetics are very weird at times!

 

[keesmom]

They are cockerels.

 

[Silkie2005]

You can see the size difference between them and the other chick I hatched with them that looks like a girl in comparison. Big size difference! Hatched the same day.

 

[Gray Farms]

All cockerels. The two in the last pic are both cockerels as well.