20wk LF Blue Cochin-boy or girl???

[Michie]

Hi, I have a pure LF Blue Cochin. Its my 1st time with Cochins, and I really thought if this was a boy it would be crowing by now because the boy hatch mates started around 10-13 wks, were slow to feather, and had bigger combs very early. This bird has a bigger comb, and the feathers just "look different" to me, but feathered in like the females. Maybe its just the 1st to mature, IDK but none of this hatch has started to lay eggs yet so I am just going off of appearances. Any help sexing this bird would be helpful. Thank you so much!

The back blue cochin

I just LOVE LOVE LOVE these beautiful birds!!!! I hope this is a girl!!!

 

[AccentOnHakes]

Looks like a pullet to me. They get red before they lay, and most breeds lay around 20weeks or so. But Cochins are slow, so it seems right to me.

However, I've never had them and just going off of what I've heard.

 

[NellaBean]

hard to tell from the pictures, but looks like some shiny saddle/sickle feathers coming in. I would guess boy.


Also, cochins are late bloomers...I would not expect one to lay anywhere near 20 weeks, so that is a lot of comb/wattle development for that age.

 

[Zaxby's2]

Looks like a rooster to me. Cochin roosters can have small combs at that age, plus he appears to have saddle feathers and a rooster tail.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

I also think I see saddle feathers, but the pictures make it hard to say for 100%


Often when you have more than one cockerel growing out - one or more of the boys will be "late bloomers".



If you were to draw a line from his wing tip on the left, up over his back to his wing tip on the right - all the feathers between this "line" and the start of his tail - are in the "saddle" area. Males grow long, thin, pointy feathers in this area, while females grow short, fat, round feathers. Run the feathers in this area thru your fingers - if any are starting to be pointy - you have a late blooming cockerel.


This picture might give you a better idea on saddle feathers:

 

[Michie]

Thank You! I really feel it might be a late blooming boy, I just really hope its not. Hes tooo sweet, and so soft! Plus one of the black female cochins is the most dominant. Maybe I will get lucky and this boy wont crow

lol

 

[Michie]

Is it normal for a cochin not to crow at 20 wks if it is a boy? Thats the baffleing part because all the other hatch mate males did crow already? Thank you for the chart Horsefeatherz, I think it is saddle feathers but if so they are just starting to grow, so I am still in denial! lol I am entering he/she in a backyard poultry contest in 2 wks so I guess I will enter it as a boy. Thanks everyone!