Bantam Cochin Gender? - updated photos at 4 weeks old on post #10

[GardeNerd]

Gender Update:

I have never picked good numbers in the lottery, but I seem to have won the pullet lottery this time around. They are 7 1/2 weeks old. I got mostly pullets, and one cockerel. One white that I didn't figure out before it went to a new home. Pretty good odds for 9 assorted chicks or 7:2!

My neighbor wasn't as fortunate, she ended up with 4 cockerels and 2 pullets. However, I gave her one of my pullets so it worked out okay for her.

Here are the results of my chicks:
Black Cochin chick #1
Pullet

Black Cochin chick #2
I guessed cockerel, but I think I was wrong. It still has a tiny yellowish comb and no wattles.

White Cochin #1
Pullet

White Cochin #2
It looked like pullet for a long time, but started acting like a cockerel big time. It went to a new home over the weekend. I still don't know if it is a girl or a boy. I will update if I find out it crowed or laid an egg.

Red Cochin
I guessed a cockerel, but it seems to be a pullet. It still has a yellow comb and no wattles at 7 1/2 weeks.

Buff Cochin #1
Pullet

Buff Cochin #2
Cockerel

Silver Penciled Cochin #1
Pullet

Silver Penciled Cochin #2
Pullet

15 cochins 9 female:5 (+1 white) males I will order an assortment again if the odds in assortments are usually this good.

 

[DEchick]

I know this is an old post, but I am having the same problem! I have three white cochin bantams and they are 6 weeks old. They all have the same size comb, but one has much shorter wing feathers. Wish I could be sure

I know someone who wants a rooster, but I cant give him away until I am 100%!

 

[GardeNerd]

Quote:
Don't make any decisions until they are 8 weeks old. Between 6 and 8 weeks mine changed a lot. It got easier with just that couple of weeks.

 

[motochick]

Hmmm...8 weeks to tell. Well, guess I'm a ways off still, my bantam cochin assortment is 3 days old.

Oh the waiting. But it can't be as bad as waiting for the postoffice!

 

[GardeNerd]

Quote:
I know what you mean...waiting while they are in shipment is excruciating!


We have since had two more shipments of bantam cochins from Ideal. With some varieties of cochins from Ideal, it seems to be possible to get a relatively good idea on the gender at a few days old. If they are from Ideal, I usually guess the blacks, the buffs, and the silver pencilled correctly. Got any pictures?


Update on these original chicks in the post:

Black Cochin chick #1
Pullet

Black Cochin chick #2
Pullet

White Cochin #1
Pullet

White Cochin #2
Cockerel / update from the owner: I told the fellow when he took the white chick home, I was 90% sure the chick was a male, but could not guarantee it. He felt it was worth taking the chance for a possible free bantam cochin pullet. I was notified it started crowing a few weeks ago. With two other roosters around for the longest time, it never crowed, but never laid an egg either. A month or so ago, the others moved on to other homes, it finally got up the confidence to sound like a rooster.

Red Cochin
Pullet

Buff Cochin #1
Pullet

Buff Cochin #2
Cockerel

Silver Penciled Cochin #1
Pullet

Silver Penciled Cochin #2
Pullet

 

[motochick]

Ok, here's some photos from today - these are all chicks from McMurray - arrived 10/6/11. The shipping label reads that they were hatched 10/4/11, 10am. So that would make them be 5 days old today.
I got an assortment since that's all they had available for bantam cochins right now, straight run of course.
I'm hopeing for some blue, black and spash pullets, my mom wants red pullets.

So, here's 5 to start with (since I've got 25!) - 4 blacks(?) and a red. I've got more pics (all taken today) to upload later if you like the guessing game. Seems like all 4 of the blacks have barely started wing feathers. I also have 4 buffs where all 4 look like they have a good start on wing feathers. I really hope at least 1 black/blue chick is a pullet. Guess I'll have to wait some more.

Wanna take some guesses at gender?

Black chick A (most yellow at beak)

Black chick B (more yellow on cheeks)

Black chick C

Black chick D (most black on face)

And for some comparison to another color from McMurray:
Red chick A

Any guesses? I can't keep all of them so any pointers on sorting would be great.
Thanks

 

[GardeNerd]

Wow are they cute! It almost makes me want more chicks again, but life is too busy and I have no broodies right now.

Having 25 makes it easier to identify the genders than having just 2 or 3. It is hard to tell from the pictures, but I would guess out of your 4 blacks that A and D may be pullets, but my black pullets from Ideal usually have had longer wing tips, more like the red in the other picture. If it was me, I would keep that red for sure. Watch the tips of the tails over the next week or two. The ones that grow the fastest there and also on the shoulders are often the pullets. Most of them that are still pretty fuzzy around 3 to 4 weeks are the boys. The only exception I have had is the silver pencilled cochins; even the girls are still pretty fuzzy at 7 weeks.

 

[MuckyPuppy]

Well, I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one in this boat.

Both (OP and Motochick) of your chicks are lovely and I am sure that DEchick's chicks are just as nice! Not a clue on the gender of Motochick's chicks but lovely.

I have Pekins (uk) aka bantam Cochins (us). We just bought them Friday and eventhough the breeder said that they were both girls based on their feathers, I am pretty sure that one of them is a boy because of his red wattles and a slight redness of his/her comb. They are either three or four weeks and based on my previous Pekins only my boys had red wattles at those ages. Our older Pekin girl still doesn't have wattles or any redness in her comb. My problem is that I have to make a decision soon because eventhough she has told us that she will exchange any boys, she only has two other batches of younger chicks. Also, we are already becoming attached and named them, Crystal (sliver partridge) and Skittles (chocolate partridge).

Edited to add: I think that Skittles is the boy.

 

[motochick]

Hi MuckyPucky - Good luck with Skittles, I know it's so fun to watch them and spot little personalites in each. Hopefully that redness isn't permanent and the breeder was correct. Can you keep a rooster?

Thanks for the tips GardeNerd - I'm keeping a close eye on the shoulders and tails now.

I'm quite new at chickens - do any of you know what color do the chipmuck patterned ones turn out to be??

 

[motochick]

Here's a group pic from today - what do these chipmuck patterns turn into color wise as adults?

From left to right:
#1 beak- grey chipmuch pattern, "twinkle toes"
#2 beak - grey chipmuch pattern
#3 - brown chipmuch pattern - maybe a pullet
#4 - beige chipmuch pattern

only #3 has wing feathers, the others are still quite fluffy - gender guesses?