Barnyard Mix -- Help Sexing Please!!

[EurekaPaprika]

Hi! I am conducting experiments to determine which eggs will hatch hens (no need to convince me I'm crazy to try, I've already heard it )

But I'm not the greatest at sexing pullets and cockerels. And until I have my own full flock of Beilefelders, or a source of auto-sex hatching eggs, I'll be needing to do a lot of just that!

So I'm hoping to repetitively add batches of photos to get your help with identifying them correctly!

 

[JedJackson]

Yes, we are happy to help. Keep in mind that it is rarely possible to determine gender until the chicks are around 6 weeks old.

 

[EurekaPaprika]

First Batch! (all barnyard mix)

This round has been all about working out the kinks in my process. Along with sexing, feel free to tell me what kind of photos are most helpful.

I previously read that wing feathers help to tell at younger ages, but I'm not sure on that. I wish I had better pictures of the black chicks, but I only had kids to help me at the time. And the new leg bands I had bought kept falling off, so I can't take new pictures of them because I don't know which bird is which at this point! That might mean we can't ID those ones, JedJackson. But that's ok-- I'm working out those kinks for next time!

I think the easiest way to keep things straight in the comments would be to reference the Egg #. Ages are listed on each collage. I also put a list of the Egg #s in the same order at the end of this post if you want to copy and paste it for writing your replies!

Let's start with the easiest ones, the ones my daughter begged me to keep! I'm really hoping that #23 is a pullet despite not having tail feathers yet.

Egg #5

Egg #12

Egg #23

Here's all the black ones. They got some of their father's Black Sumatra genes.

Egg #13

Egg #14

Egg #15

Egg #17

Egg #19

Egg #21

Egg #22

Egg #25

Reference List:

#5
#12
#23
#13
#14
#15
#17
#19
#21
#22
#25

 

[Pigeony]

12 and 23 are pullets, 5 is a cockerel. Others are too young for me to want to make a guess yet.

 

[JedJackson]

I agree with Pigeony. Wing sexing only works for hybrids specifically bred for that trait, like Amberlinks. It's not going to work here. It's really all about the combs and wattles when they are young, both the color and size.

 

[EurekaPaprika]

Ok! I see the pink comb for sure. Plus, it's much bigger than the other two I kept. Do you not look for pointy saddle or neck feathers at this stage? Maybe that's why I have always struggled to tell!

With future batches I think I'll select and incubate the eggs, color code them with leg bands as they hatch, and then send them to their homes with bigger sizes of leg bands for their owners to use until at least the 6 week mark. Then I'll have them send me a photo of each bird!

Should I have their owners focus on a headshot to see the comb and wattles, or a full-body view like I did with #5? I want it to be as easy as possible for them, but also as accurate as possible for my experiment. How accurate can this comb-color sexing be at 6 weeks, should I have them keep leg bands on for longer?

 

[Pigeony]

Ok! I see the pink comb for sure. Plus, it's much bigger than the other two I kept. Do you not look for pointy saddle or neck feathers at this stage? Maybe that's why I have always struggled to tell!

With future batches I think I'll select and incubate the eggs, color code them with leg bands as they hatch, and then send them to their homes with bigger sizes of leg bands for their owners to use until at least the 6 week mark. Then I'll have them send me a photo of each bird!

Should I have their owners focus on a headshot to see the comb and wattles, or a full-body view like I did with #5? I want it to be as easy as possible for them, but also as accurate as possible for my experiment. How accurate can this comb-color sexing be at 6 weeks, should I have them keep leg bands on for longer?

Saddle and hackle feathers usually start growing later, more like 16-24 weeks in most cases. You can get early bloomers who start getting them at 8-12 weeks of age, but it's generally unlikely. It depends on the breed and the individual. Certain cockerels from slow-growing breeds may not even have them at 24 weeks.

 

[Squawkers]

First Batch! (all barnyard mix)

This round has been all about working out the kinks in my process. Along with sexing, feel free to tell me what kind of photos are most helpful.

I previously read that wing feathers help to tell at younger ages, but I'm not sure on that. I wish I had better pictures of the black chicks, but I only had kids to help me at the time. And the new leg bands I had bought kept falling off, so I can't take new pictures of them because I don't know which bird is which at this point! That might mean we can't ID those ones, JedJackson. But that's ok-- I'm working out those kinks for next time!

I think the easiest way to keep things straight in the comments would be to reference the Egg #. Ages are listed on each collage. I also put a list of the Egg #s in the same order at the end of this post if you want to copy and paste it for writing your replies!

Let's start with the easiest ones, the ones my daughter begged me to keep! I'm really hoping that #23 is a pullet despite not having tail feathers yet.

Egg #5
View attachment 4170634

Egg #12View attachment 4170637

Egg #23
View attachment 4170646

Here's all the black ones. They got some of their father's Black Sumatra genes.

Egg #13View attachment 4170638

Egg #14
View attachment 4170639

Egg #15
View attachment 4170640

Egg #17
View attachment 4170641

Egg #19
View attachment 4170643

Egg #21
View attachment 4170644

Egg #22
View attachment 4170645

Egg #25
View attachment 4170648

Reference List:

#5
#12
#23
#13
#14
#15
#17
#19
#21
#22
#25

Wow you out so much work into those pictures collages!! It’s adorable!

 

[EurekaPaprika]

Wow you out so much work into those pictures collages!! It’s adorable!

Thank you

 

[EurekaPaprika]

Here are a few more chicks from my first batch!

Please reference the Egg # in any comments. Ages are listed on each collage. Based on your previous help I'm thinking #9 and #18 are hens and #24 is a roo, but do black combs follow the same time table?

Egg #9

Egg #18

Egg #24