Ameraucana Pullet or Cockerel

[DawnLee]

My Ameraucana chicks are 1 week old. I noticed that some have tail feathers coming in and some don't. Do tail feathers come in faster in the pullets vs cockerels?

 

[sourland]

I don't think that is true with Ameraucanas, but hopefully someone with more knowledge will respond.

 

[sourland]

Not questioning their breed - I was referring to 'tail sexing'. Why not ask the breeder about feather sexing his strain of birds? Seems logical to me.

 

[Ometra]

My Ameraucana chicks are 1 week old. I noticed that some have tail feathers coming in and some don't. Do tail feathers come in faster in the pullets vs cockerels?View attachment 3463508

I was wondering the same thing today. I have 4 one-week old Ameraucanas and just one of them has tail feathers already growing. Same thing for my three Cuckoo Marans. Just one of them has the tail feathers visible. It also turns out the these two chicks with tail feathers are taller and more bold than the others of their breeds.

 

[nuthatched]

I was wondering the same thing today. I have 4 one-week old Ameraucanas and just one of them has tail feathers already growing. Same thing for my three Cuckoo Marans. Just one of them has the tail feathers visible. It also turns out the these two chicks with tail feathers are taller and more bold than the others of their breeds.

Tail feathers don't really mean anything at this age.

 

[Ometra]

Tail feathers don't really mean anything at this age.

That seems to be what I’m finding out. As I stand over the brooder for hours on end, I come up with some theories I can come here to do searches on. What I know for sure is that these chicks grow crazy fast.

 

[DawnLee]

Tail feathers don't really mean anything at this age.

The ones of mine that are bigger/taller are the ones with the shortest tail. They are 2.5 weeks old now. I put a zip tie on the leg of the ones that I believe are cockerels. We will see.

 

[DawnLee]

I was wondering the same thing today. I have 4 one-week old Ameraucanas and just one of them has tail feathers already growing. Same thing for my three Cuckoo Marans. Just one of them has the tail feathers visible. It also turns out the these two chicks with tail feathers are taller and more bold than the others of their breeds.

The ones of mine that are bigger/taller are the ones with the shortest tail. They are 2.5 weeks old now. I put a zip tie on the leg of the ones that I believe are cockerels. We will see.

 

[kurby22]

I haven’t found that to be the case with my Ameraucanas. Size, leg thickness, personality, and wideness of the comb at a young age is more indicative…sometimes they correlate and sometimes they don’t! I’m almost always right about the gender based on personality—the boys are sweet, curious, brave, and love to snuggle. The girls act like you may murder them, cheep a lot, try to escape you, and hide from you when you come to the brooder. Works with the Ameraucanas, but not my d’Anvers.

 

[nuthatched]

The ones of mine that are bigger/taller are the ones with the shortest tail. They are 2.5 weeks old now. I put a zip tie on the leg of the ones that I believe are cockerels. We will see.

Careful with that zip tie, chicks grow quickly. Non toxic tempura paint is better.