Svarthona over White Leghorn hybrids: did I get two cockerels?

[LittleGreyFarm]

I got these two birds from a hobby breeder.

They were sold as “zombies,” but upon purchasing them, I was told that their pale yellow skin would blacken over time and that they were likely pullets. They are now about 12 weeks old, and I found they both had bloody scratched faces. I am now seeing them spar any time they get too near eachother.

I’m hoping that the one my kids named Ash is a pullet, but I’m suspicious that both are Roos. Ash has white, thinner legs, and less pointy hackle and saddle feathers. Sage is bigger, has a larger taller comb, yellow legs, and very pointy hackle/saddle feathers.

Opinions please.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Opinions please.

I can't make out saddle feathers well enough to confirm and hackles never count for ME.. but based off of comb size/color and stated age.. they would be cockerels in my opinion.

Alternatively IF the Svart Hona were the rooster over a light skinned hen as the cross is stated in your title then skin color is sex linked (technically at hatch though sometimes hard to discern) with pullets having dark skin and cockerels being light skinned.. which would also indicate cockerels.

 

[Tookie]

Both are definitely cockerels, unfortunately.

 

[Pigeony]

Definitely cockerels

 

[ShrekDawg]

Definitely cockerels. Sorry.

 

[LittleGreyFarm]

I can't make out saddle feathers well enough to confirm and hackles never count for ME.. but based off of comb size/color and stated age.. they would be cockerels in my opinion.

Alternatively IF the Svart Hona were the rooster over a light skinned hen as the cross is stated in your title then skin color is sex linked (technically at hatch though sometimes hard to discern) with pullets having dark skin and cockerels being light skinned.. which would also indicate cockerels.

Thank you so much. I was suspicious about the light skin too, but I haven’t delved into the genetics of chickens farther than knowing some phenotypes are sex-linked.

It is interesting that they HAVE been getting more black areas of skin as they age, but I bet it will end up looking mottled, since we are already at 12 weeks and the skin is mostly white/yellow.

 

[LittleGreyFarm]

Both are definitely cockerels, unfortunately.

Yeah it’s a bummer! I am a sucker for interesting colors (both eggs and birds) so I wanted a “zombie” and drove a stupidly far distance to go buy them


But I guess this just means I should do more research on the genetics before I try to buy any more new mixes