Would you help me figure out whether I have any pullets? These chicks were hatched at home, 6 weeks ago, and the parents are a barnyard mix (Siberian egglaying breeds of some sort, most likely). Back when they were still small I read somewhere that early feathering was often a sign of pullets, and thought I had them figured out-- there were the girls with the pretty wide feathers, and then there were the boys with the funny little stubby wings and no tail. And then I read that was breed specific, so maybe not relevant to my chicklings.
And then I read that the first combs to redden would be boys, and ofcourse the chick with the first tail and feathers, who I had been sure was a pullet, got the first blush of red. But by the next day nearly all of them had red under their combs. So now I don't know if I have any girls at all, or if I am the unlucky owner of 21 brand new roosters.
Can you tell me what I have here? I'll split them up into a few posts, to make it easy to keep track. First here is Marigold (unless it has to be Merlin?), our earliest featherer and also the first to get that blush of red under her comb. Is she a cockerel?
And then I read that the first combs to redden would be boys, and ofcourse the chick with the first tail and feathers, who I had been sure was a pullet, got the first blush of red. But by the next day nearly all of them had red under their combs. So now I don't know if I have any girls at all, or if I am the unlucky owner of 21 brand new roosters.
Can you tell me what I have here? I'll split them up into a few posts, to make it easy to keep track. First here is Marigold (unless it has to be Merlin?), our earliest featherer and also the first to get that blush of red under her comb. Is she a cockerel?
