Bantam Cochin gender

[karint]

So I was told you can tell gender of Cochins based on wing feather. Not sure it’s actually true but I’m curious. I have pictures of my 7 bantam Cochins attached. Curious what everyone thinks and if you can actually tell gender by wing feathering.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

You can’t tell gender from wing feathering unless the birds are specifically bred for it. Unfortunately you’re going to have to wait till 6-8 weeks to be able to accurately tell

 

[karint]

That’s what I figured but I was being told by other people that Cochins are one of those breeds so was curious.

 

[Ladybird CA]

I think they are one of those breeds. Brahmas too pretty sure all 3 of the 2 week old light Brahmas are male. The birchen cochin 3 male and a female. The buff cochin is the iffy part. All looked female (I sold one) but a couple are as big as the brahmas.

 

[Ladybird CA]

First two look male, last two look female, unsure on the middle ones

 

[karint]

First two look male, last two look female, unsure on the middle ones

That’s kinda what I was thinking too but have never really analyzed the feathers before. Shipped eggs so hopefully some hens. My last batch was only one hen.

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

I think they are one of those breeds. Brahmas too pretty sure all 3 of the 2 week old light Brahmas are male. The birchen cochin 3 male and a female. The buff cochin is the iffy part. All looked female (I sold one) but a couple are as big as the brahmas.

They’re not a breed able to be wing sexed. No breed is able to. It’s a phenomenon that happens when you mix a fast-feathering male with a slow-feathering female. This trait is on the Z chromosome. Females are ZW and males ZZ. Each chick receives a Z from the father but only males receive a Z from the mother. Since slow feathering is dominant, all male offspring will show this trait while pullets will only receive a recessive fast feathering from her father. This logically wouldn’t breed true. If sexing were this easy, hatcheries wouldn’t pay big bucks to sexers. Here’s an article.

 

[karint]

They’re not a breed able to be wing sexed. No breed is able to. It’s a phenomenon that happens when you mix a fast-feathering male with a slow-feathering female. This trait is on the Z chromosome. Females are ZW and males ZZ. Each chick receives a Z from the father but only males receive a Z from the mother. Since slow feathering is dominant, all male offspring will show this trait while pullets will only receive a recessive fast feathering from her father. This logically wouldn’t breed true. If sexing were this easy, hatcheries wouldn’t pay big bucks to sexers. Here’s an article.

Now that makes way more sense. Thanks so much for the details. Now we wait and see.

 

[Ladybird CA]

That’s kinda what I was thinking too but have never really analyzed the feathers before. Shipped eggs so hopefully some hens. My last batch was only one hen.

 

[Ladybird CA]

They’re not a breed able to be wing sexed. No breed is able to. It’s a phenomenon that happens when you mix a fast-feathering male with a slow-feathering female. This trait is on the Z chromosome. Females are ZW and males ZZ. Each chick receives a Z from the father but only males receive a Z from the mother. Since slow feathering is dominant, all male offspring will show this trait while pullets will only receive a recessive fast feathering from her father. This logically wouldn’t breed true. If sexing were this easy, hatcheries wouldn’t pay big bucks to sexers. Here’s an article.

While that is true for day old chicks what about older ones? This blue cochin bantam I had 21 years ago was very slow feathering and turned out to be a cockerel although could be a coincidence. I’ll report if my 3 light brahmas and 3 birchen cochins are cockerels. They all only have tiny bits of feathers at 3 weeks old. Unless I sell them first.

He was 8 weeks old in this pic. Wish I took one of him when he was about a month old and had very little wing feathers. I’ll see if I can take pics of the 6 chicks tomorrow.