Young cockerel behavior, or just chicks being chicks?

[clickdb]

I have a bunch of chicks/cockerels at the moment, ranging it ages from 5 weeks to 8 weeks. They are starting to show more obvious signs of dominance, and i see them going face to face, bobbing their heads, and pecking at each other. I know thats all normal and they are just figuring out the pecking order, so my questions is if young pullets will also engage in the same behavior? Out of these chicks, i am holding out for one of them being a pullet. "She" generally doesn't participate in the sparring matches, but yesterday i noticed them all taking turns, and the feathers on their necks get puffed up and stand forward. I've seen that on my confirmed cockerels for the last week, and i don't know if all chickens can do that or if that is a definite sign that she is really a he.

So i guess my question is if pullets can also do the neck feather thing?

Thanks for your input, i'm trying to learn as fast as they are growing!

 

[sourland]

Pullets as well as cockerels will engage in sparring and mock fighting - it's play for them in addition to pecking order arrangement.

 

[clickdb]

Thanks for the feedback, i just wanted to be sure. like i said, i hadn't seen my "girl" fluff the feathers on her neck like that before. I'll be sad if she ends up crowing, that would mean 7/10 straightrun chicks were boys :\

 

[azygous]

I have four four-week olds and they are all of the auto-sex breeds, meaning I know they're pullets. They all do the little combat routine.