Barnevelders 5 week olds...Gender?

Okay...since it is always easier to sex the other farmers chickens, I present these two hatchery quality Barnevelders purchased on June 4th and 6th at approximately 1 week of age, so about a June 1st latest hatch date (probably a little earlier)....so that would make them 5 to 6 weeks old (maximum)

I am hoping for a Barney and a Velda...but I think I may have a Barney and Veldan.

First time with Barnevelders....what do you all think?

2 roos? Or am I lucky that the one obvious roo has a mate in what might be a pullet, as in not as obviously a roo as Barney?

Thanks
LofMc

Pretty sure this one is a roo (Barney)





Now Velda or Veldan...I can go either way...think it is a roo, but may be overly pessimistic...it definitely has a smaller and yellow comb than the pink/red of Barney. It also has more pattern than Barney (who I think is showing the elongated lines on the roo's wings). It also had a different breast down color than Barney (I forget who had the cream and who had the darker beige). It also has finer legs than Barney. Lucky for pullet?



And both of them for comparison





Thanks!

@Michael OShay

What do you think?

LofMc

Yikes...and the hutch looks dirty as hubby is remodeling it with a really good canopy and I haven't been able to clean! Eeks...I need to get to that!

(Hurry hubby!)

LofMc

They look like a cockerel and a pullet to me... I've hatched a few Barnevelders and the pattern on the 2nd along with those legs really says pullet...
Bet the 2nd one was the darker chested and the 1st was the lighter chested...

I could very well be wrong, but to me your odds look good...

Lady of McCamley said:

@Michael OShay

What do you think?

LofMc

Click to expand...

Barney definitely looks like a cockerel and I'm concerned about the size of Velda's comb. Most of the Barnevelder pullets I've seen in that age range had very little comb. Velda could still turn out to be a pullet, but I wouldn't be surprised if that comb reddens up over the next few weeks (hopefully not).

Michael OShay said:

Barney definitely looks like a cockerel and I'm concerned about the size of Velda's comb. Most of the Barnevelder pullets I've seen in that age range had very little comb. Velda could still turn out to be a pullet, but I wouldn't be surprised if that comb reddens up over the next few weeks (hopefully not).

Click to expand...

x2

Yes, I am concerned about the comb on Velda/Veldan as well...it is larger than I would like to see for a pullet...good news is that it is still smaller and yellow, and the color pattern is different, hopefully indicating a pullet pattern.

Oh well, time, as usual will tell. I do hope to get a breeding pair out of this, but the Barnevelder rooster over the Isbars (which look like pullets...the blue and all black in the photos) should produce some olive egger if the Barnevelder is deep enough, and might brighten up some of the other brown colors on my other layers.

Just don't need 2 roos.

LofMc

RavynFallen said:

They look like a cockerel and a pullet to me... I've hatched a few Barnevelders and the pattern on the 2nd along with those legs really says pullet...
Bet the 2nd one was the darker chested and the 1st was the lighter chested...

I could very well be wrong, but to me your odds look good...

Click to expand...

I hope the color pattern on Velda does hold and is indicating pullet, and the comb doesn't take off in size and redness...really do hope for a pullet to go with the roo...it would be great to have some darker layers (although won't be as dark as my Marans) but then also add Barney over the green/blue eggers for olive eggers.

It may mean I will have to keep my Marans hen (lost one to predator) longer...not happy with her elongated eggs so wasn't wanting to breed her forward, but it might help in a Barnevelder/Marans cross to deepen color of the Barnevelder...trying Barnevelder as have heard they are very sweet...my Marans tend to be aggressive, and I'm not keen on the feathered feet in this Oregon mud.

LofMc

Lady of McCamley said:

Yes, I am concerned about the comb on Velda/Veldan as well...it is larger than I would like to see for a pullet...good news is that it is still smaller and yellow, and the color pattern is different, hopefully indicating a pullet pattern.

Oh well, time, as usual will tell. I do hope to get a breeding pair out of this, but the Barnevelder rooster over the Isbars (which look like pullets...the blue and all black in the photos) should produce some olive egger if the Barnevelder is deep enough, and might brighten up some of the other brown colors on my other layers.

Just don't need 2 roos.

LofMc

Click to expand...

Let us know how Velda turns out. It will be good experience in sexing Barnevelder chicks in the future.

Update. 16 weeks of age today.

Velda is Veldan. They are both roosters...which is a bummer as I was really hoping for a breeding pair of Barnevelders.

Photos below. The taller bird has started to crow, and the other is developing sickle feathers. I was fairly certain by 10 weeks that I had 2 rooster, but held out another 4 to maker sure I didn't re-home my Barnie girl.

I am keeping the taller boy, Barny (yeah original I know) who is sweet and has a nicer comb (Veldan's is a little funky with a slight "horn" at the top). So Veldan is looking for a home or will end up in the soup pot.

Excited to finally start my breeding program for really colorful eggs.

Barny, after he has finished growing, will be over my new Splash Marans (parents were a 7 on the scale) to develop blue laced nice dark layers, hopefully.
Over my Rhodebars and GSL for some nice red laced utility layers
Over my Blue Isbar for black or blue colored Olive Eggers...if I get a nice roo out of this pairing I can then breed back over Isbar for a different deepening of olive/greens
Over my black Olive Egger (Marans/Isbar) for F2 Oliver Eggers, deeper color, hopefully (50% OE deep and 50% hopefully decent dark brown).

If I do this right....I should be able to produce color coded plummage and colored eggs...Blue Laced Barn/Marans dark brown layers, red laced utility brown layers, then blue or black olive eggers varying with F1 and F2

Wish me luck.

LofMc