telling 3 mos old Wellsummer pullets from cockerels

[26chickens]

I bought 2 3 mos old Wellsummer pullets from a local breeder & then last week, one of my "hens" tried to crow. I took it back & exchanged it for another, but I'm afraid I picked wrong again. I'll try to get a picture tomorrow of both. The hen is that earthy pattern with lighter pattern on her neck & head (looks similar to a leghorn). The new one in question has rich, deep red & some black tipped feathers (beautiful), also the comb, wattle, legs & feet are quite a bit larger in comparison. The legs are much more yellow than the pullet. The one I returned was top bird, but this newbie is the bottom rank for sure. Without the benefit of a photo, anyone have an educated guess?

We raised 29 pullets last summer, barred rocks, ameraucana & RI reds. In comparison the 3 barred rock hens (10 mos old now) we have each have very different heights of combs.

 

[Andora]

I had 4 Welsummer chicks last year, and 3 turned into roos. The roos were very obvious by 6 weeks! They had red combs and red wattles starting. The pullet had a yellow tiny comb in comparison, no red or pink on the comb at all and no wattles.

 

[26chickens]

thanks for the reply. I'll wait & see to be sure. What about top hats? My neighbor bought some young ones, 6wks old I think, yesterday & tried to get all hens. They sure are pretty. Do they develop combs or are they like silkies with such busy hats that's there's sometimes not much of a comb on the roos?

 

[Andora]

By six weeks old the roos should be getting little pink/red wattles and some of them will be getting a comb. Their combs look like horns poking out of the very bottom of their crest/top of their beaks. Sometimes you have to part the crest feathers to see the comb bumps starting!