Gender?

700

700
 
Okay...so the wind is just ruffling the feathers vs. those are frizzled feathers.

Mom is a RSL with dad either a BCM (?) or Ameraucana/EE (?)...so you've got barnyard mixes (great birds, hardy and good layers).

As to gender...age is really important...I only threw out a guess.

My barnyards mature faster than my pure breeds, so they can fool you (I once gave away a fast maturing barnyard female because I thought she was going to be a roo...she laid at 14 weeks!)...but I'm still thinking those could be roo's...I really need to know the age.

Also, were they broody hatched or heat lamp brooded, as that can make a big difference too as to how quickly they develop. You've also got them developing in the lengthening daylight, which I find my winter hatches, naturally brooded, causes the hens to mature more quickly too...all that to give hope that they may be hens developing quickly...but those combs are pointing to roo's if they are about 4 weeks of age, but I wouldn't plan them for the soup pot yet with the parameters above.

LofMc
x3
 
So does temp constitute gender?


No, the chick develops from embryo and is hatched male or female according to the genetic combination of the parents (and it is actually the female who determines the sex, opposite to mammals).

What happens in warmer temperatures, or more importantly the lengthening daylight hours, is that the pituitary gland in the brain is activated sooner to produce the sex hormones. The laying cycle is stimulated for all hens by the length of daylight, but for a young pullet this can influence the first onset of laying. This can make a pullet look more developed than would be expected at an earlier age since she is literally developing faster sexually than her peers who grow up at a different time of year where the daylight hours are decreasing during those "teen" weeks (spring hatches).

I find when I hatch chicks in January, raised by a broody, they are in the natural lighting of the coop, which is lengthening daylight between January and March, such that the bird is getting more and more light. This can trigger the sex hormones to release earlier than normal. Some Ag literature recommends adjusting your artificial lighting so that the birds born in the off season (October through March) won't get longer days until after they are 22 weeks of age to force sexual maturity later. The point being to prevent too early of maturation since early maturation can cause early layer fatigue from prolapse and egg duct issues..

I personally have never worried about it since my birds are hatched in natural setting when the hen wants to do so, and to date (keeping fingers crossed), I have never had any of my early maturing girls (those January hatches) exhibit problems. My barnyard mixes laid at about 14 weeks. My Black Copper Marans were laying by 16 weeks, unheard of by the breeder....all due to that natural brooding process and lengthening spring days. I am watching to make sure I don't end up with problems, but I am personally not interested in hooking up an artificial light system to mimic decreasing daylight for 22 weeks if they hatch in the "off season." I figure if the hen wants to hatch them then, so be it.

I also find my broody hatched chicks mature faster than heat lamp chicks. At the end of the first week, they are scratching in the cold, running alongside momma with quick warm ups. By the end of 2 weeks, they are fully feathered, and look and fly like little sparrows. By the end of 4 weeks, the are noticeably much bigger than heat lamp chicks. And this continues until point of lay. It is pretty amazing to see the development, and I have to remind myself of the difference when I make guesses as to ages and gender with those who do not have broody hatched chicks. It seems to be about a 2 week faster maturation with the natural broody method.

I hope that explains why we pondered if your birds could possibly be early maturing females and asked about broody hatched with natural daylight at this time of year.
LofMc

Link to a good article about sexual maturity and length of daylight
http://umaine.edu/publications/2227e/
 

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