Bantam Cochin Gender? - updated photos at 4 weeks old on post #10 - Page 2

Gender Update:

I have never picked good numbers in the lottery, but I seem to have won the pullet lottery this time around. They are 7 1/2 weeks old.  I got mostly pullets, and one cockerel.  One white that I didn't figure out before it went to a new home.  Pretty good odds for 9 assorted chicks or 7:2!

My neighbor wasn't as fortunate, she ended up with 4 cockerels and 2 pullets.  However, I gave her one of my pullets so it worked out okay for her. 

Here are the results of my chicks: 
Black Cochin chick #1
Pullet

Black Cochin chick #2
I guessed cockerel, but I think I was wrong.  It still has a tiny yellowish comb and no wattles.

White Cochin #1
Pullet

White Cochin #2
It looked like pullet for a long time, but started acting like a cockerel big time.  It went to a new home over the weekend.  I still don't know if it is a girl or a boy.  I will update if I find out it crowed or laid an egg.

Red Cochin
I guessed a cockerel, but it seems to be a pullet.  It still has a yellow comb and no wattles at 7 1/2 weeks.

Buff Cochin #1
Pullet

Buff Cochin #2
Cockerel

Silver Penciled Cochin #1
Pullet

Silver Penciled Cochin #2
Pullet

15 cochins 9 female:5 (+1 white) males  I will order an assortment again if the odds in assortments are usually this good.

Don't make any decisions until they are 8 weeks old.  Between 6 and 8 weeks mine changed a lot.  It got easier with just that couple of weeks.

I know what you mean...waiting while they are in shipment is excruciating!


We have since had two more shipments of bantam cochins from Ideal.  With some varieties of cochins from Ideal, it seems to be possible to get a relatively good idea on the gender at a few days old.  If they are from Ideal, I usually guess the blacks, the buffs, and the silver pencilled correctly.  Got any pictures? 


Update on these original chicks in the post: 

Black Cochin chick #1
Pullet

Black Cochin chick #2
Pullet

White Cochin #1
Pullet

White Cochin #2
Cockerel / update from the owner: I told the fellow when he took the white chick home, I was 90% sure the chick was a male, but could not guarantee it.  He felt it was worth taking the chance for a possible free bantam cochin pullet.  I was notified it started crowing a few weeks ago.  With two other roosters around for the longest time, it never crowed, but never laid an egg either.  A month or so ago, the others moved on to other homes, it finally got up the confidence to sound like a rooster.

Red Cochin
Pullet

Buff Cochin #1
Pullet

Buff Cochin #2
Cockerel

Silver Penciled Cochin #1
Pullet

Silver Penciled Cochin #2
Pullet

Wow are they cute!  It almost makes me want more chicks again, but life is too busy and I have no broodies right now.

Having 25 makes it easier to identify the genders than having just 2 or 3.  It is hard to tell from the pictures, but I would guess out of your 4 blacks that A and D may be pullets, but my black pullets from Ideal usually have had longer wing tips, more like the red in the other picture.  If it was me, I would keep that red for sure.  Watch the tips of the tails over the next week or two.  The ones that grow the fastest there and also on the shoulders are often the pullets.  Most of them that are still pretty fuzzy around 3 to 4 weeks are the boys.  The only exception I have had is the silver pencilled cochins; even the girls are still pretty fuzzy at 7 weeks.