What gender are my chicks? About 4 weeks old...

[SeaChickens]

Can anyone advise on which of these chicks are pullets?
Hoping they all are but I am worried about the Cochin... She occasionally does some chest bumping with the others (the Barred Rock does too). Cochin is a few days younger and quite a bit smaller than the others. It has been scared of me until very recently and will now consent to some petting.

Thanks in advance!


Above: Australorp

Above is a barred plymouth rock

above is the blue cochin's rear

above is the blue cochins foot (tiny spur bump but about the same size as the other chicks bumps)

above is the cochin's comb, pretty dark pink


RIR - chunky legs on this one, very shy

 

[downsm75]

Cochin is a roo.. Not sure on the others

 

[aoxa]

I would guess all but the barred rock are boys :/
With the RIR being a Production Red.. The comb looks big to me, but it could still be a girl. The Australorp and the Cochin are boys.

 

[Fred's Hens]

At six weeks, most breeds follow the tried and true. Reddish combs sprout on the cockerels as well as tiny red wattles under their chins, shall we say. Pullets don't sprout wattles until point of lay.

Those are tell tale signs and I see some combs and wattles blooming in some of your photos. The Barred Rock photo was taken head on, but aren't those wattles I see? If so, it'll crow, not lay. All chicks chest bump, so that doesn't mean much.

I also agree the red bird is a production red, a generic red bird, not an RIR. Those red birds can fool you as the cockerels can sometimes hide a week or two longer. If you don't get a red comb and wattles by 9 weeks, you're probably in the clear with that one. Enjoy them!!!

 

[SeaChickens]

The 3 chicks (excluding the cochin) are supposed to be sexed as hens from mypetchicken.co
- I think thats McMurray hatchery. Would be extremely dissapointed if they were boys, can't have roosters in the city. The only one that had definite wattles is the Cochin. Rest are barely there.

 

[Lots A Cluckin]

wait a couple more weeks and post new pics of them...we can give you a more accurate answer...but by the looks of them right now the only pullet I see is the black australorp...but if in 2 weeks the others combs have not grow or gotten any pinker..I would say they are pullets also...excluding the cochin he is 100% rooster

 

[hdowden]

the only cockerel i see is the cochin

 

[SeaChickens]

@hdowden - hope you are right! I will be sad if the Cochin is a roo but it seems pretty obvious. If the other 3 are hens I will be happy. I'll post some more pics in a couple weeks. First time with chickens and it's fun but nerve-wracking worrying about getting Roos! I've heard that Cochins are quiet so maybe I could get away with a roo in the city. Would it be cruel to keep him in a separate coop? Anybody have a cochin roo who can advise on the noise level?