Before getting into the details of my little baby bock bocks, and considering that the speed and placement of feathering can indicate if a chick is male or female, I have a specific question-- do smaller hens maybe feather faster, while hens who end up larger take longer to fully feather? The two smaller -of 4 SS- have feathered the way pullets are described to, while the other two...
Ordered 8 female chicks from MyPetChicken[dot]com and am now suspicious (paranoid?) 3 of them could be roosters.. Which seems super unlikely.
Knowing how hard it is to be sure if its a roo or hen (I know technically a pullet or cockerel) at this age, which is 3 weeks, I figured it'd be better to maybe have this conversation here rather than alone in my own head.
In this photo 2 Colombian Wyandottes at the top, Speckled Sussex below--
The Colombian Wyandotte to the left seems to be a pullet/hen by all metrics. The one to the right, has less of a tail, and (not knowable from this photo) has thicker legs.
The Sussex at the bottom (on the roof board *not on the roosting rail below below* is also a suspected roo. Only because she doesn't have the tail feathers while two other SS have-- worth noting that she is generally larger than those two SS.
Next photos, the bird closest to the cam is the most suspected roo. For context, the chick roosting further back is the smallest of the SS bunch, next to the one closest. But the comb, noticeable incoming wattles, lack of tail feathers (and no pin feathers on back between wings-- unlike the other suspected SS roo), and general shape/posture (maybe not as noticeable in this photo) makes me think the bird closest is a roo.
Leaving behavioral observations out of this post cause everything I've read indicates that's a bit pointless at this age.
Also I love all of them so much and wanted to avoid accidentally getting attached to a rooster as I cannot have them where I live so any amount of time I have to plan and make any transition easier/more better is appreciated.
NOT
Ordered 8 female chicks from MyPetChicken[dot]com and am now suspicious (paranoid?) 3 of them could be roosters.. Which seems super unlikely.
Knowing how hard it is to be sure if its a roo or hen (I know technically a pullet or cockerel) at this age, which is 3 weeks, I figured it'd be better to maybe have this conversation here rather than alone in my own head.
In this photo 2 Colombian Wyandottes at the top, Speckled Sussex below--
The Colombian Wyandotte to the left seems to be a pullet/hen by all metrics. The one to the right, has less of a tail, and (not knowable from this photo) has thicker legs.
The Sussex at the bottom (on the roof board *not on the roosting rail below below* is also a suspected roo. Only because she doesn't have the tail feathers while two other SS have-- worth noting that she is generally larger than those two SS.
Next photos, the bird closest to the cam is the most suspected roo. For context, the chick roosting further back is the smallest of the SS bunch, next to the one closest. But the comb, noticeable incoming wattles, lack of tail feathers (and no pin feathers on back between wings-- unlike the other suspected SS roo), and general shape/posture (maybe not as noticeable in this photo) makes me think the bird closest is a roo.
Leaving behavioral observations out of this post cause everything I've read indicates that's a bit pointless at this age.
Also I love all of them so much and wanted to avoid accidentally getting attached to a rooster as I cannot have them where I live so any amount of time I have to plan and make any transition easier/more better is appreciated.
NOT
