Welsummer chicks male - female ?

[CluckyLady]

Photo 1 is chick number 2 and number 3


photo 2 is all 4 chicks - notice the difference in colour of the chick at the back (what does that indicate?) the tail on that chick is also twice as long


PHoto 3 is chick number 4 (this one is the smallest, also more quiet)


Photo 4 is chick number 1 (pretty sure that's a rooster?) he is also the one with the darker colour and longer tail.


Photo 5 is chick 2. This one is confusing me because of the head markings which indicate a hen but it's the biggest chick and very much 'out there' also has a fairly long comb already

I would love the opinion of people who know the Welsummer Breed as to what sex you think they are. I have 4 chicks, photos are taken today at 4.5 weeks of age.

I'll appreciate your comments.

 

[my sunwolf]

Wow, not familiar with the breed but looks like you have roos with those big combs. Chick 4 is most likely a pullet. Chick 1+2 are definitely roos, and Chick 3 looks rooish, but what color is the comb?

 

[ramirezframing]

2 and 1 are roos

 

[Pele]

Honestly the only for sure pullet is number 4. All the others have a lot of comb growth at a very early age, which usually indicates roos.

 

[sumi]

Honestly the only for sure pullet is number 4. All the others have a lot of comb growth at a very early age, which usually indicates roos.

X2 Not sure about chick #3 though.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Wow, not familiar with the breed but looks like you have roos with those big combs. Chick 4 is most likely a pullet. Chick 1+2 are definitely roos, and Chick 3 looks rooish, but what color is the comb?

x2, but a little familiar with the breed

Welsummer chicks can be sexed fairly accurately by color pattern at day one. The females will have a more defined chipmunk pattern with a dark V on head and dark eyeliner. Males by comparison are paler and have no eyeliner. Some pics here https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/welsummer-red-partridge

Here is my hatchery pullet at about 8 weeks. Small pale comb and no wattles.

 

[debid]

Once the chest feathers are in, it's pretty easy to tell. An even, salmonish color across the breast is a female and splotches of brown and black is a male.

 

[CluckyLady]

thank you ! I had the feeling that sexing Welsummer chicks is not simply looking at the comb growth. Chick no 2 had the well defined V on it's head and the eye liner. Yet, it's now growing a comb and lobes. There is a clear colour difference between chick no 1 (which I believe to be a rooster) and the other 3 chicks. It will be very interesting to see what the split is. Also, I am in Australia so these chicks are probably from different lines? I must add that I simply love this breed (they are my first chickens and my first Welsummer) - they are very friendly and open; not scared of much, a little bit 'out there' and a just a little bit naughty (they love to fly

)

 

[debid]

They can have some pretty large combs for both genders but the coloring is different between male and female and that's the surest way to tell long before they reach maturity. There is some variance in the plumage of females (one of mine is very chestnut in the neck while the others are a brassier gold) but it's nothing like the variance between male and female. Oh, and mine have spurs...

 

[CluckyLady]

ah thank you for that !! all mine have a 4th toe pointing to the rear which looks to me like a spur. They all have a nail on the end of it. I was wondering about those. It is so difficult to find other people who have Welsummer chickens here in Australia. I wanted light Sussex but the lady who sold me the chicks had these Welsummer chicks that were very healthy and already 2 weeks old. I also wanted some Australorp and she had some of those at 2 weeks so it all fitted together well and that's how I got my Welsummer chicks. I absolutely love them and can see myself getting very hooked on the breed. I plan to keep a Welsummer rooster and only hens from the Australorp chicks. I had noticed the huge difference in colour between the Roosters and the Hens from internet research. My number 1 chick is much darker than the others and clearly going towards a different colouring. The other 3 are the same in the way their colour is developing. They are very 'coppery gold' around the neck with feathers that look like lace. very very pretty !! I am thinking that I may have 1 Roo and 3 hens but we'll see. As there is so much difference in colour it won't be long before it will be apparant.