I am usually pretty good with sexing babies by this age, but his little one has me stumped for a few reasons (and it's the only one I've ever hatched of this cross so I have nothing to compare it to). The father was a Jersey Giant (either blue or splash, I'm guessing splash, as this little one has several splotches on it). Mother was an Isa Brown - this girl lays for 28 days in a row, takes a 2-day break, then starts again...all though winter, even! My hope was to keep that excellent egg laying capability, while increasing size of bird & egg.
1) It has a shorter tail, which would indicate cockerel. (Then again...with nothing to compare to, how do I actually know the tail is short? It just "seems" short to me.)
2) It as thick legs, which would indicate cockerel. (Then again, it IS a Jersey Giant cross, so....)
3) It's comb seems rather large, which would indicate cockerel. (But, it's not pink at all, and it's not "huge," just seems large for the size of the chick to me.)
4) The stance indicates pullet to me.
5) It doesn't have "cockerel" attitude (doens't perk up & stand tall when I go to the brooder like the known cockerels from the hatch do.)
I hatched this along with some Marans from another breeder, and so all I have to compare this to are 15 other chicks the same age, but a different breed. THOSE cockerels have quite large combs and they are turning pink already. Here are several pics:
my apologies for the messy background; I was cleaning out an incubator when I decided to grab this chick & get a pic of its back:
1) It has a shorter tail, which would indicate cockerel. (Then again...with nothing to compare to, how do I actually know the tail is short? It just "seems" short to me.)
2) It as thick legs, which would indicate cockerel. (Then again, it IS a Jersey Giant cross, so....)
3) It's comb seems rather large, which would indicate cockerel. (But, it's not pink at all, and it's not "huge," just seems large for the size of the chick to me.)
4) The stance indicates pullet to me.
5) It doesn't have "cockerel" attitude (doens't perk up & stand tall when I go to the brooder like the known cockerels from the hatch do.)
I hatched this along with some Marans from another breeder, and so all I have to compare this to are 15 other chicks the same age, but a different breed. THOSE cockerels have quite large combs and they are turning pink already. Here are several pics:
my apologies for the messy background; I was cleaning out an incubator when I decided to grab this chick & get a pic of its back:
