Age for coloring?

[Annika514]

Hello! We brought home a hen and her chick on August- and I believe several of you helped us sex the chick as a hen (thank you)! At what age does the coloring start to show if it is a male? She still looks almost just like her mom but her neck is slightly more blue than green. We are hoping she’s a hen but don’t want to get our hopes up thank you!

 

[CluckerFamily]

Do you have any pictures?

 

[Annika514]

Do you have any pictures?

 

[KsKingBee]

Low Spaulding hen

 

[Annika514]

Low Spaulding hen

Well that’s exciting! I had no idea we had a Spaulding!

 

[Marmack]

@KsKingBee Can you explain the difference between the wild barring on the males versus the hen? I have a couple from the Low Spaulding male I got from you and I always thought the barring was male. Can you tell how to tell the difference?

 

[KsKingBee]

The more Spaulding you add the harder it is to tell or the easier it is to get fooled. A low Spaulding and a regular IB are pretty much the same with some minor differences but the easiest way for me with the absence of breast lacing is with the barring on the back. Wide single bars on a single feather will indicate hen, but when there are multiple thin bars on a single feather it is always a cock. There is a time period when they both will have barring but the hens will get thicker and then get replaced with feathers with no bars, the cocks get replaced with multiple thin bars.

You can also get confused with the breast feathers looking like hen lacing but when you see a thin stripe going down the center it will be a cock. Higher Spaulding hens may not have lacing at all but when you see rusty-colored feathers it is a hen for sure.

Here is a mid-range Spaulding hen at about six months.

Here she is again with a cock behind her.

If you are looking at just the barring on a Spaulding you are looking at the wrong place. Heavily bared hen in front and a lightly bared cock in back.

Don't forget that Spauldings break all the rules.