White leghorn question

[jengro65]

Around what age should I expect to see clear signs that my chicks are pullet or cockerel? They are 3 weeks tomorrow and all have exact feathering and little yellow combs.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

By four to five weeks it starts becoming obvious to me. Leghorn cockerels get big combs pretty early.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Yes - you'll notice them pretty early - the roos get their bigger combs early and the pullets keep the smaller combs until closer to laying time.

Here are my 4 roos and 1 pullet.
The pullet at 4 or 5 weeks

The roos all look like this at 4 or 5 weeks and earliest one crowed around 6 weeks - squeaky door crow

 

[jengro65]

Quote:
Holy cow that's an obvious difference! Thanks Do they feather at the same rate? I have 7 little ones now and I am determined that they will all be pullets..LOL

 

[Oregon Blues]

[[[[........I am determined that they will all be pullets....]]]]]

So did you order and pay extra for sexed chicks and all pullets? Or did you get straight run and figure your strong will and determination will change the little cockerels into hens, because they won't dare to disappoint you?

The only way to be 100% certain to get all pullets is to purchase point of lay hens.

 

[cupman]

It's common people get confused and believe their pullet is in fact a male. I've had two different friends both tell me they were certain they had a male, both times it was a pullet. White leghorns have rather large combs so if you see that and it has you concerned, remember it isn't always the case.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

A.T. Hagan :

By four to five weeks it starts becoming obvious to me. Leghorn cockerels get big combs pretty early.

Ditto. Keep in mind that female white leghorns get huge combs too, and theirs are "big" for chicks and sometimes pinkish colored, but it will be very obvious what a cockeral is, their comb turns red.

Leghorn females at about 5 weeks:

As far as feathering goes, I didn't really notice a difference between the boy and girls.​

 

[jengro65]

Quote:
I didn't order these ones...they are home grown....my determination for pullets is wishful thinking!
Here's Mama and the babies 2 days ago

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Quote:
I didn't order these ones...they are home grown....my determination for pullets is wishful thinking!
Here's Mama and the babies 2 days ago
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/100130_newbabes2.jpg

You should be able to tell very obviously, shortly. Another week or two.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Quote:
I didn't order these ones...they are home grown....my determination for pullets is wishful thinking!
Here's Mama and the babies 2 days ago
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/100130_newbabes2.jpg

Adorable! I didn't tag them with anything - I should have because they are so hard to tell apart LOL! We called them all the Leghorns. But by the time they were 6 weeks old I could tell the group of 4 were different from the 1. Then of course the crowing began and we knew who was a roo and who was a pullet. Now the pullet's comb is starting to grow bigger because she's 12 weeks old and getting closer to egg laying time. Soon she'll have a nice red comb like the roo and I'll be able to tell them apart by the tail and crow.

I'll check back through my old posts and see what I put about the feathering - because I do remember a discussion about that and let you know what I find.