Which of these is the cockerel?

[CentralOregon]

I have 5 Gold Laced Wyandottes that are 6 weeks old. Looking at pictures of this breed full-grown, I see that the roosters do have a brown head. On the other hand, it's my understanding that the hens will have more lacing than roosters. In my juvenile birds, the ones with the brown heads are the ones with more lacing, so I'm unsure which is which. I'm hoping they're all just variations of hens; is there any sure-fire way to tell at this age? Here's some photos I took this morning; click for hi-res images and descriptions. Thanks for any input! PS. Just wondering about the Wyandottes -- the Barred Rocks, there's no question.

 

[Mountain Peeps]

All the wyandottes actually look like pullets as of now. The barred rock looks like a roo due to the light coloring and large comb.

 

[CentralOregon]

Thanks for chiming in on it. The Barred Rock is definitely a rooster.

 

[chickensfinally]

How soon do cockerels develop their spur sprouts? And is their any possible reason that a hen would have what looks like little numbs where spurs might be without ending up being a cockerel? 3 of 4 of my 3ish week old Ameracaunas seem to have them. And I thought they were supposed to be pullets. Aome of the two week old wyandottes may have some two and they were definitely supposed to be pullets. I know it's not 100% accurate but still :-(. Help!

 

[donrae]

All the Wyandottes look like pullets to me. You can usually spot a cockerel fairly well, especially if it's one in a group. Like the barred Rocks, they tend to stand out due to a difference in feather pattern.

How soon do cockerels develop their spur sprouts? And is their any possible reason that a hen would have what looks like little numbs where spurs might be without ending up being a cockerel? 3 of 4 of my 3ish week old Ameracaunas seem to have them. And I thought they were supposed to be pullets. Aome of the two week old wyandottes may have some two and they were definitely supposed to be pullets. I know it's not 100% accurate but still :-(. Help!

Most all birds have spur buds, both genders. Spurs are a very poor indicator of gender as some roosters don't get spurs until after a year old, and some hens have impressive spurs! So, don't fret at little bumps on their legs, it's normal. By 6 weeks you'll have a good idea who is who, and if you're unsure feel free to take some good pics and start a new thread asking about your birds.

 

[chickensfinally]

Thank you so much ! I didn't know how to start a new thread (esp from my phone) so I piggybacked on a thread that was similar. Thanks again, and if there is still a question around 6 weeks I'll figure out how to post pics.

 

[CentralOregon]

All the Wyandottes look like pullets to me. You can usually spot a cockerel fairly well, especially if it's one in a group. Like the barred Rocks, they tend to stand out due to a difference in feather pattern.

I'm glad to be hearing agreement on it. I was really worried that I got 4 cockerels out of 12 birds! Thanks for replying.

Quote:
Thanks.

 

[CentralOregon]

How soon do cockerels develop their spur sprouts? And is their any possible reason that a hen would have what looks like little numbs where spurs might be without ending up being a cockerel? 3 of 4 of my 3ish week old Ameracaunas seem to have them. And I thought they were supposed to be pullets. Aome of the two week old wyandottes may have some two and they were definitely supposed to be pullets. I know it's not 100% accurate but still :-(. Help!

I'm not sure, but it looks like you may have an answer from @donrae . Good luck!

 

[Tuhmu]

All the wyandottes actually look like pullets as of now. The barred rock looks like a roo due to the light coloring and large comb.

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