Sexing Input re:Welsummer & Barred Rock 3 Wks

[speckledhen]

Finally, I managed to get a slightly better picture of that third BR baby in the natural light today. Still, need better pics, but they are NOT cooperating! Today, it looks like a pullet to me, though I originally thought cockerel. Dutch is an obvious cockerel, Zoe certainly a pullet, but this one was in-between. Then there are two shots of a very friendly Welsummer chick, the only one to venture out the door to the coop today. All these chicks, except the little 2 week old New Hampshire pullets in the pic, are 3 weeks old. What do you think about the BR in the doorway and the Welsummer? I need a comb shot of the Wellie, but I got the chest shot since I know the boys are supposed to get darker feathering on that area; I just wasn't sure when it comes in.

 

[beefy]

I think that is a girl named HotLips

 

[speckledhen]

Well, how about Margaret, LOL? Something about Hotlips and the association with the phrase "chicken lips"..... If this one is a pullet rather than my cockerel, then if the Hawkeye baby that Olivia is supposed to hatch Saturday is a boy, it means I can keep him. That's the last egg in my possession that is fertile by Hawkeye.

 

[flyingmonkeypoop]

The barred rock has better barring like a male, but it could just turn out to be a good patterned female.
The welsummer has a red breast which normally means female, but then I saw the little wattles and comb so now I am thinking a male. We have hatched out eggs from our own welsummers and also got some from mothergoose last year and have gotten red breasted welsummer males.
I am going to say both are males, but I am doubting myself on that though.

 

[SeaChick]

The Welsummer's ginger-brown breast feathers make me say "pullet" but you know my experience is limited to the two 8-week-olds I have now and the research I did on them. Here are pics of my girls near that age for comparison:

3.25 weeks:

4 weeks:

Our welsummers were very thick-legged, sturdy, BIG, and had pretty big combs. But at 8 weeks I'm pretty confident they're pullets. (Actually we only have one left. Beatrix found a nice new home!)

Hope this is helpful.
Stacey

 

[speckledhen]

The barred rock has better barring like a male, but it could just turn out to be a good patterned female.
The welsummer has a red breast which normally means female, but then I saw the little wattles and comb so now I am thinking a male. We have hatched out eggs from our own welsummers and also got some from mothergoose last year and have gotten red breasted welsummer males.
I am going to say both are males, but I am doubting myself on that though.

Well, Michael, you see my slight confusion then. I thought the comb on the Welsummer seemed more male, but the breast feathers said female. And I have a couple that I know are cockerels and have known for a week already-their combs are huge and already very pink. The BR had me thinking cockerel then pullet then to cockerel then pullet again.

Stacey, thanks for the pics of your girls. They do have easy to spot little combs already at that age. I just wish I could get a better pic of my little Wellie roos. They are so plain to see, but I know not all develop at the same rate. I hope this one is a pullet because I love the personality!​

 

[wegotchickens]

This is a cool learning tool for me. I have Welsummer eggs from Mothergoose that are due to hatch in a little over a week

 

[beefy]

Quote:
Margaret is a great name. if i were you i'd keep an extra cockeral around b/c when Zane recovers he may be more of a pet rooster than a breeder on account of his injury?
i would think it would be easy for a rooster to re-injure himself during mating too.

 

[speckledhen]

if i were you i'd keep an extra cockeral around b/c when Zane recovers he may be more of a pet rooster than a breeder on account of his injury?
i would think it would be easy for a rooster to re-injure himself during mating too.

That's sort of what DH said, too; however, what I'm worried about is that, besides not being able to breed well, he won't be able to hold his own against his brothers in the flock. If he even recovers at all, I guess we'll see. I will be keeping Dutch at least. I was even considering keeping one of the nice Rhode Island Red cockerels from Julie's eggs, if their temperament turned out well. Then, I could have pure BRs and sexlinks that people like.​