Araucana sexing x 3

[MummyHinga]

Hi brains trust! I have 3 Araucana here. Just over 4 months old / 18 weeks. I keep getting told light grey is a pullet and dark grey is a cockerel but I think they're the opposite?
Have added in a photo of the 3rd white one too as everyone says that's a girl which I believe so too.
Of course, would love to hear from more advanced eyes
Can you help me settle this please?

 

[Rock17]

I think 1 is a male. I think 2 is also a male. I think three is a female. However I don’t have any experience with araucanas

 

[NatJ]

Hi brains trust! I have 3 Araucana here. Just over 4 months old / 18 weeks.

At that age, I think you probably have 3 females.

I think the curved feathers on light gray are just something that happens with some chickens, male or female. They don't look to me like the feathering I would expect to see on a male of this age. It seems more common on chickens of some colors than others (some of the genes that affect feather color can also affect the texture of the feathers.)

And in the photo with light gray and dark gray side by side, with their heads toward the camera: both of them have combs that are small and pale, while a male of that age should have a comb that is bright red and quite a bit bigger.

I keep getting told light grey is a pullet and dark grey is a cockerel but I think they're the opposite?
Have added in a photo of the 3rd white one too as everyone says that's a girl which I believe so too.
Of course, would love to hear from more advanced eyes
Can you help me settle this please?

When you have three females or three males, it can be hard to sex them because you notice all the little differences and try to figure out if they mean anything. When you have some of each, some of the differences are very obvious, and that makes it easier to see which details do and don't matter.

In this case, I think the slightly-curving tail feathers, different body size, and different leg thickness are just individual variation, not signs of being a male.

 

[SilverBirds]

All females.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Pullets

 

[fluffycrow]

Agreed, pullets

 

[MummyHinga]

At that age, I think you probably have 3 females.

I think the curved feathers on light gray are just something that happens with some chickens, male or female. They don't look to me like the feathering I would expect to see on a male of this age. It seems more common on chickens of some colors than others (some of the genes that affect feather color can also affect the texture of the feathers.)

And in the photo with light gray and dark gray side by side, with their heads toward the camera: both of them have combs that are small and pale, while a male of that age should have a comb that is bright red and quite a bit bigger.



When you have three females or three males, it can be hard to sex them because you notice all the little differences and try to figure out if they mean anything. When you have some of each, some of the differences are very obvious, and that makes it easier to see which details do and don't matter.

In this case, I think the slightly-curving tail feathers, different body size, and different leg thickness are just individual variation, not signs of being a male.

Oh wow! That's the best explanation I've ever read (and I'd posted this on Facebook groups many times trying to figure which is which) and it makes so much sense. I didn't realise the male Araucana were much different. I humbly thank you so much!!

 

[NatJ]

Oh wow! That's the best explanation I've ever read (and I'd posted this on Facebook groups many times trying to figure which is which) and it makes so much sense. I didn't realise the male Araucana were much different. I humbly thank you so much!!

You're welcome.

Typing out my thoughts is a way of helping me organize my own thinking, but it does double-duty in helping other people learn from what I know (and when I make mistakes, someone can see where I went wrong and correct me, so I keep learning too )

 

[AinaWGSD]

2 and 3 are pullets for sure. Small combs and perfectly rounded saddle and hackle feathers. 1 isn't screaming roo to me, but some of those saddle feathers are looking suspicious. I don't see any pointed hackle feathers, but lavender/self blue is notoriously difficult to tell gender. Keep an eye on that one.

BTW, these are excellent photos for determining gender!

 

[MummyHinga]

2 and 3 are pullets for sure. Small combs and perfectly rounded saddle and hackle feathers. 1 isn't screaming roo to me, but some of those saddle feathers are looking suspicious. I don't see any pointed hackle feathers, but lavender/self blue is notoriously difficult to tell gender. Keep an eye on that one.

BTW, these are excellent photos for determining gender!

Thank you so much for your help!!