Cuckoo Maran chick gender Q please

[Moon Daizy]

Hello, can anyone shed some light on this little Cuckoo Maran chick please? I think it’s a girl, but the bottom is confusing me I know baby’s bottoms can be swollen at birth from all the hormones though. It’s my daughter’s chick, and only one of her 3 Maran eggs have hatched so far so she’s desperate for it to be a pullet, but I don’t want her getting too attached to it if it’s a boy. It looks really black from above, but paler from the sides when stood in the light. Thanks in advance

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[LavenderDaFlerf]

Much too young to tell, post again at 6-8 weeks old.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Much too young to tell, post again at 6-8 weeks old.

X2

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I know baby’s bottoms can be swollen at birth from all the hormones though.

That's an unhealed naval sack.. indicative of an incubation or hatching issue.. *possibly* too high of humidity for the egg color/size if it hatched on day 21. The vent (or butt/anus and reproductive opening) is closer to the tail.

On (pure) cuckoo and barred chicks you *MAY* be able to tell gender at hatch.. pullets have much smaller tighter dots on the head where cockerls may be wider or sloppier.. since those statement are subjective.. I'm clueless.. the first clue will come as those bars become more obvious or as comb and wattles start to develop. Boys may start to show gender as early as 4-6 weeks while ruling them out can be done closer to 8.. in my experience.

The coloring itself, side and such.. is standard for juvenile plumage of that variety and does not indicate gender.

Marans.. always with the "s" at the end even when discussing a single bird..

Congrats on your cute babies!

 

[Moon Daizy]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/boy-vs-girl-cuckoo-marans.459471/

I was going off the information provided on here re gender at hatch @ShrekDawg @LavenderDaFlerf @EggSighted4Life but thanks for your replies!

 

[Moon Daizy]

That's an unhealed naval sack.. indicative of an incubation or hatching issue.. *possibly* too high of humidity for the egg color/size if it hatched on day 21. The vent (or butt/anus and reproductive opening) is closer to the tail.

On (pure) cuckoo and barred chicks you *MAY* be able to tell gender at hatch.. pullets have much smaller tighter dots on the head where cockerls may be wider or sloppier.. since those statement are subjective.. I'm clueless.. the first clue will come as those bars become more obvious or as comb and wattles start to develop. Boys may start to show gender as early as 4-6 weeks while ruling them out can be done closer to 8.. in my experience.

The coloring itself, side and such.. is standard for juvenile plumage of that variety and does not indicate gender.

Marans.. always with the "s" at the end even when discussing a single bird..

Congrats on your cute babies!

Thank you for your detailed response, I appreciate it. I will just have to keep my fingers crossed it’s a pullet then. It’s a real sweetheart, and very docile / calm, and always hungry