Questioning sex of my ee and D'uccle

[Steadfast1]

I'm fairly confident that my ee is a roo having been through this once before. He's feathering out a bit slower and the brown or reddish plumage on the shoulders are what I'm using to help form my conclusion.

The Mille Fleur D'uccle is a new one for me. Not really sure what I should be using to help me sex this one. It has the most prominent comb of the 3 youngsters I have right now, but other than that I'm clueless.

Both birds are at about 4 weeks at this point.


Mille Fleur and EE

My EE

EE

Mille

Mille

 

[aoxa]

The D'uccle is not a D'Uccle, but rather a cross.

Both are boys unfortunately

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

x2

 

[BuffOrpington88]

Yep, both are cockerels.

 

[juliechick]

Sorry, you don't have a d'Uccle. You have two EE mix roosters.

 

[hdowden]

sorry that is not a pure d'uccle but a mix and they are both 110% cockerels

 

[Steadfast1]

Par for the course I guess. Was really hoping we had finally gotten our flock in place. Second time my local sorce for chicks has gotten it wrong. Is it even possible to sex EE younder than 4 weeks or is it luck of the draw at that point.

It always struck me as odd that the "Mille Fleur D'uccle" was growing at the same rate or better than the other two, but, as mentioned before, I have no clue other than what I've read or heard. Doesn't surprise me now though. Guess I'll be looking for a more reliable source at this point...

 

[featherz]

I agree with the others on the gender check.

It IS possible to sex EE at less than four weeks, but only 'yes, that's a boy' - some of the ones that look like girls at four weeks can surprise you later!

I hatch out EE's all the time, and at 5-6 weeks I am about 90% accurate. I generally miss one or two 'stealth roos' that start looking like a boy much later. And at 4 weeks I'd probably only be 50% accurate. Some boys are just obvious from week one, some take a lot more time.

 

[aoxa]

I agree with the others on the gender check.

It IS possible to sex EE at less than four weeks, but only 'yes, that's a boy' - some of the ones that look like girls at four weeks can surprise you later!

I hatch out EE's all the time, and at 5-6 weeks I am about 90% accurate. I generally miss one or two 'stealth roos' that start looking like a boy much later. And at 4 weeks I'd probably only be 50% accurate. Some boys are just obvious from week one, some take a lot more time. 

You'd be 50% accurate at hatch lol

But yes, I agree. Boys are only boys when they are BOYS. Does that confuse you enough? I have never said "OH yes - that's definitely a boy" and have been wrong. Vice versa yes

 

[featherz]

You'd be 50% accurate at hatch

lol
But yes, I agree. Boys are only boys when they are BOYS. Does that confuse you enough? I have never said "OH yes - that's definitely a boy" and have been wrong. Vice versa yes

You said it better than I did! I've never been wrong that I can remember definitively saying that's a boy - but I've been wrong plenty of times when thinking a chicken is a pullet. Usually there's a big crop of 'OMG look at those big red combs and red wings', then there's that shy quiet one in the corner that doesn't show his colors until 12+ weeks LOL.

Oh, and no, not 50% at hatch no way. I rehomed half of a hatch (day olds) about 3 weeks ago - now that we can see gender, ALL of the ones I kept were boys and the other person got all the girls. Just my luck.