Who da boy?

[sunrise.superman]

Halp?

I have 3 Welsummer chicks - 5-7 weeks old (different ages in the shipment to Jax). One is a little larger (last pic) from a first shipment and the other two (second pic) about the same size...someone is attempting a crow, but never when I'm in sight! I've tried reading up on the differences male and female at this age, but other than the slightly pinker comb I'm not sure. Which one is my noisemaker please?

I think it's the one on the far left (first pic) of the two smaller ones? Comb slightly more pink/red? Otherwise I don't really see much difference in feathering, comb size, attitude, etc.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Welsummer males will color up differently than the pullets. I see no dark chests on your welsummer. Better pictures may help but I personally can't see any males.

 

[MagpieDucks]

All pullets.

 

[sunrise.superman]

Thanks for looking thus far. That's what I thought! No dark chests, no other feathering that seems to point to a dude. I'll try to get better pics when I get home. They will have been out all afternoon and probably a little less zippy to get nicer shots of them. Someone is distinctly crowing though...not like a pro, but crowing.

 

[MomJones]

I have 8 young Welsummers (and a bunch of others) so I'm familiar with how they look as they progress into adulthood. I've raised several other breeds as well and I gotta tell you, the Welsummers are hard to sex out. But mine have all turned out to be pullets and they look like yours. Enjoy!

 

[chrissynemetz]

Are you positive it's a crow, and not one of the dozens of super weird noises chicks sometimes make? Occasionally mine sound like a wounded moose lol

 

[sunrise.superman]

I was kind of hoping not...so I waited to see after I first heard it and a few days later...a rusty little rooo-a-rooo-a-rooooo about 6 times in a row. I do have an OE that wants to be a roo, in addition to giving me lovely colored eggs, but she does the gargling moose noise.

 

[MomJones]

I hope you find out one is a rooster again all indicators. That would be so fun! I really, really wanted one of my Wells to be a roo, but no such luck. They get so pretty though--I love the coloring.

 

[MountainWoman73]

I have one Welsummer hen who... wails. I don't have a better word to describe it. She started doing it very young, before she laid, and it almost sounded like an attempted crow, but all one long note. I have had chickens for years and never heard anything like it. I was super confused because by feathering and all other indicators she was female, and hens who crow usually do it when they're older and dominant in the flock. I've gotten used to her now. Her name is Moaning Myrtle, and she lays some of my prettiest eggs.

 

[sunrise.superman]

More roooooing this morning so we'll see. I'm interested to see what comes of it, too. We have large lots in my neighborhood but still a neighborhood so.... One neighbor doesn't mind crowing but I'm not sure everyone will be a fan. The Welsummer roos are so gorgeous though!