Yes, size plays in... but not always. The large ones are often boys for me. Plus behavior is often an indicator. While some girls will run around and chest bump, they usually aren't persistent about it like the boys. The boys will usually run into the middle of a pecking order dispute and participate. While the girls (in my experience) mostly just go about their business or hurry out of the disputes.
I did have one snow leopard girl that was always big and size alone made me wonder about her.
Yes, I far prefer to have a crested female instead of male for simplicity. However, I personally would use the one that most fit my other criteria.. I like yellow legs, I'm looking for good body size for meat, Of course the flowers are KEY, And I don't breed forward sprigs, over sized crest, or split wing. Which means they usually grow until at least 6 months before elimination unless I see things early on. And even past that 6 month mark I found that my boys were still getting their colors in and slightly changing. Plus attitude doesn't really come out until after that 6 month mark. I think they hit a few maturing point after that still. So I wait to see who is over protective or just down right stupid. And there doesn't seem to be much long term permanence as I'm looking to always improve my stock. But if I find one exceptional of course that would be different.
My biggest lesson so far was to have my stag pen ready before the boys reach mating age. Because they mature a little faster than the girls and ALWAYS seem to be more boys than girls. And I personally don't hatch before the parent bird reaches 1 year old in order to let their body mature (including egg size) and have their reproductive system work it's kinks out so I can hatch the most viable chicks possible. Seems to me like hatching smaller pullet eggs would give you smaller chicks and therefor smaller adult birds. Which I guess would be good if you were trying to breed bantam. But I don't know that last one for sure, it's what I reasoned in my head. I'm an over thinker!
