Chronicles of Raising Meat Birds - Modern Broilers, Heritage and Hybrids

[Parront]

That definitely looks like a cockerel to me. The curved tail feathers and looks like saddle feathers as well. Are the hackle feathers pointy?

Yes -- starting to get suspicious tail feathers, NN not a lot of hackles. Just slower to develop than the little Barred Hollands that are 2 weeks younger and already crowing.

 

[FortCluck]

Yes -- starting to get suspicious tail feathers, NN not a lot of hackles. Just slower to develop than the little Barred Hollands that are 2 weeks younger and already crowing.

On my NN I got there were just a few hackles I could spot enough to say male or female. I’m butchering both though because they aren’t meeting my expectations

 

[Morrigan]

You just described this bird. Except too young to know about egg-laying.

How old? One thing I've noticed with my NN/RR crosses, is that the cockerels show a lot of comb very early. By 4 weeks it is quite obvious when comparing hatch-mates who is a girl and who is a boy. The other oddity I've noticed with my particular NN and RR combo is that the girls always have green legs.

 

[FortCluck]

How old? One thing I've noticed with my NN/RR crosses, is that the cockerels show a lot of comb very early. By 4 weeks it is quite obvious when comparing hatch-mates who is a girl and who is a boy. The other oddity I've noticed with my particular NN and RR combo is that the girls always have green legs.

That’s crazy!!! Good way to know who’s female or not

 

[Morrigan]

That’s crazy!!! Good way to know who’s female or not

It is! I had the same trait when I had an ameraucana rooster, and I was very surprised to see it with the NN/RR crosses. And, I haven't hatched enough of the NN over Slow White Broilers to be 100% sure, but so far, with a sample of 4 chicks, the same pattern is holding for that cross as well. The pattern did not hold for my NN over orpington crosses, or my NN over Partridge Rock chicks. The leg and feather coloring of those offsprings took almost entirely after their mother.

I should add, they are all born with yellowish legs, but starting around week 2 or 3, the girls' legs slowly start turning green.

 

[Morrigan]

Forgot to add. @Parront -- based on the green legs and lack of a monster comb, if that chick hatched from my flock, I would be almost 100% certain it was a female.

 

[aart]

How old? One thing I've noticed with my NN/RR crosses, is that the cockerels show a lot of comb very early. By 4 weeks it is quite obvious when comparing hatch-mates who is a girl and who is a boy.

Most breeds are like this.

 

[BlueBaby]

How old? One thing I've noticed with my NN/RR crosses, is that the cockerels show a lot of comb very early. By 4 weeks it is quite obvious when comparing hatch-mates who is a girl and who is a boy. The other oddity I've noticed with my particular NN and RR combo is that the girls always have green legs.

That one was hatched on June 4th of this year. The mother is a Dorking/Red Ranger mix with yellow legs and the red feathering. My NN rooster has the darker slate/black leg's.

 

[BlueBaby]

This one is the full brother to that one that @Parront has above and from the same hatch date.

This one is a cockerel for sure, and has the 5 toes on each foot.

 

[BlueBaby]

You just described this bird. Except too young to know about egg-laying. Much bigger than the rest of the frock. Hoping it is a pullet. Suspicious tail feathers and wattles, though. This is the one I got from @BlueBaby -- it's descended from a "Crossing My Red Ranger's" bird & her NN cock.
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I don't see the bigger point's on the top of the comb on that one.