Bantam Cochin Gender? - updated photos at 4 weeks old on post #10

Do you have any opinion of genders? I know I am posting these chicks about 4 weeks too early. I will try to keep posting pictures over the next month, but I would love any feedback to help me learn what I should be looking for when sexing cochin chicks in the future. I ordered assorted cochins + Silver Pencilled cochins from Ideal. I have had a few emails asking me to sell any extra pullets. I plan to keep all of these until they are about 6 to 8 weeks old. I am hoping to keep at least a white and a penciled if there are pullets in those. None of them have any comb development yet, so I didn't include any photos of that yet. I will take comb shots next week. The only parts developing so far are wing feathers and a few are getting tail fuzz where feathers are starting to emerge. Having watched the feathers come in so far, I am guessing I have 4 pullets and 3 cockerels, and the silver penciled, I really have no clue.

Last time I raised cochins: buff, partridge, and black, my guesses at 2 weeks old were only correct on the black. The black cochin boys sort of stood out at that age, and by 3 weeks I was sure who were the boys. The buff and partridge chicks, I could not tell gender until 6 to 7 weeks old.


Black Cochin chick #1
I am guessing pullet because it is feathering quickly and has started to spout a tail.


Black Cochin chick #2 ...now at 2 weeks old it is clearly a frizzle
I am guessing cockerel, but it is really calm and sweet


White Cochin #1
I am guessing pullet


White Cochin #2
I am guessing pullet


Red Cochin
I am guessing cockerel. S/He is skittish this week.


Buff Cochin #1
I am guessing pullet


Buff Cochin #2
I am guessing cockerel


Silver Penciled Cochin #1
My neighbor has a penciled the same age as my two with no wing feathers at all yet, and mine have some, but both silver penciled are feathering very slowly like I would expect cockerels to do. If I had not seen her chick, I would be guessing both are cockerels for sure.


Silver Penciled Cochin #2
I am guessing pullet, but only because my neighbor has one the same age with no wing feathers yet



Thanks for any feed back!

It's really still a guessing game. I used to think I could tell this early with Cochin bantams because the hens feathered in faster, like you said. But then, I've had some fool me. You should be able to tell in another couple weeks, though. The little roosters get big combs early and some even start to crow at about 4 - 6 weeks.

not sure if this goes for pure cochins but my cochin x games the cockerals would have the most foot feathering at first

Quote:
Hmmm. I hadn't thought about that before, but now that you mention it, my 3 Partridge cochin males did have fuller foot feathering at about two weeks old than the female. I would be interested finding out if it was just a coincidence or not.

Here are some helping findings:

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/sexingchicks.html

Hope this helps

Quote:
Hmmm. I hadn't thought about that before, but now that you mention it, my 3 Partridge cochin males did have fuller foot feathering at about two weeks old than the female. I would be interested finding out if it was just a coincidence or not.

this would be a good thread, not sure where we should put it though.

with cochins it does take a little longer to guess the questionable ones espetailly with mixed cochins

Where did you get your silver penciled cochins?
I have been looking...

Your babies are VERY cute, but I am absolutely no help at identifying gender that young!
Keep us posted.

Quote:
I got the silver penciled cochin bantams from Ideal Poultry. They were not part of the assortment; I ordered them separately.

Well, the only thing I can tell you about them is they are SO CUTE!!

Same chicks @4 Weeks
None wanted to pose this week.


Black Cochin chick #1
I am still guessing pullet because it is feathering quickly all over and has a longer tail. No noticeable comb.

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Black Cochin chick #2 (Frizzle)
I am on the fence on this one. Originally I was pretty sure it was a cockerel, but I don't know now.

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White Cochin #1
I am still guessing pullet.

My two whites together...chick #2 is on the left and chick #1 in the center bottom

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White #2

White Cochin #2 w/ Penciled cochin #2

I am leaning toward cockerel, now on both.
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Red Cochin (all the other reds at the neighbor's house turned out frizzled)
Cockerel probably based on feather growth?

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Buff Cochin #1
Pullet. It has a long tail and feathered the fastest.

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Buff Cochin #2
Cockerel probably. The comb doesn't look that red in person, but it is a tiny bit pink.

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Silver Pencil #1

Same silver Penciled Cochin #1

Still same #1
Cockerel?
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My neighbor's penciled cochin the same age as my two still has barely any wing feathers at all yet, much less than mine. However, both silver penciled are feathering very slowly like I would expect cockerels to do. I am guessing both are cockerels. But I really want one pullet.


Silver Penciled Cochin #2
Cockerel?

Both Pencilled together: #1 on top, #2 on bottom


Group photo of some:
clockwise from the top: black #2 frizzle, silver penciled #2, white #2, red, silver penciled #1, white #1, and on the far left buff #1


Thanks for input!