British Araucana gender - help please!

[graphicali]

I have three araucana chicks, coming up to 8 weeks old now. I have been changing my mind about their gender every week since they hatched. Any help would be appreciated, especially if you can tell me what you see that makes you think that they are male or female.

I have a black, a blue and a partridge coloured one.

 

[SnowPeeOstrichU]

Hi there,

I'm no expert but your two darker ones look like hens to me. They don't have the extra neck feathers or saddle feathers or the long tail feathers that are curled, to my eye. I'm not sure if the lighter one is or not because the comb is not very red but I can't see if saddle feathers(right before the tail, only on roosters) are coming in or not.. Could you get a closer up maybe?

All very cute

Hope this helps!

 

[graphicali]

Thank you. That is what I have been looking for too, the hackle and tail feathers. Here is a bit closer shot of the partridge coloured one.

 

[SnowPeeOstrichU]

If one of them is, I'm fairly sure it would be the partridge but I am really not sure.. Does the partridge show any sign of growing in spurs?

 

[junebuggena]

Spurs don't start growing until about 5 to 6 months old, and some roosters never grow spurs. They are too young to have any visible male feathering. Those don't start developing until about 10 weeks, and it takes a few weeks before those feathers are visible.
I suspect that the partridge on is male. That coloring is starting to look a bit patchy.

 

[graphicali]

Thank you. I too suspect that the partridge coloured bird is male but I wasn't sure if what I was seeing in the feather colour was a male trait. Initially it had a salmon coloured chest which I took to be female but now, as you say, it is starting to develop rusty colored patches elswhere. It's comb is more pink than the other two, although because it is a pea comb it is difficult to see yet.

I am wanting to let them loose into the big pen with the other birds but am worried that any little cockerels might get bullied by the adult cockerel.

 

[BantamLover21]

Spurs don't start growing until about 5 to 6 months old, and some roosters never grow spurs. They are too young to have any visible male feathering. Those don't start developing until about 10 weeks, and it takes a few weeks before those feathers are visible.
I suspect that the partridge on is male. That coloring is starting to look a bit patchy.

Agreed

 

[Michael OShay]

Spurs don't start growing until about 5 to 6 months old, and some roosters never grow spurs. They are too young to have any visible male feathering. Those don't start developing until about 10 weeks, and it takes a few weeks before those feathers are visible.
I suspect that the partridge on is male. That coloring is starting to look a bit patchy.

X2 on the above.

 

[drumstick diva]

X 3 on above