Buttons, sexing and such?

[citalk2much]

Quote:
Says the lady with button eggs in the bator!

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
Says the lady with button eggs in the bator!

har har har! Im sellin those....or something

Ifi get a blue face though...it's all over

 

[citalk2much]

Awww blue face to sweet and a dominant color!

 

[Akane]

I still say some of my males do not have red vent feathers.

My slate might have the ever so slightest tint to the end of a few of his feathers now that he's adult but they were not visible at even 12weeks. Other than that any of my silvers that did not get the red breasted color do not have red vent feathers. I do not use that to tell. Males and females have different amounts of barring, different body shape, etc... Also all my cinnamon males even if they have silver over it have several very obvious pure white feathers (whiter than the silver feathers on the ivories) while the females have just barely any white feather tips.

The blue back and red breast on my red breasted cinnamon male appeared practically over night. One week he looked nearly the same as my cinnamon hen and the next he was blue and red with white wing feathers. It happened at about 9-10weeks.

None of mine have laid before 10 weeks. I did everything I could think of with more light, higher protein food, etc... They did not lay. It was actually a pair I didn't care about and hadn't put light over that laid first at 10 weeks. The others followed at 12 weeks. I think the higher protein food did help a little but I've yet to have one lay before 10 weeks even with mixing a 30% protein food using dog food and game bird starter.

 

[citalk2much]

My silver and slates have very light pinkish tinted vent feathers. I have been told some do not get the tint but I have never seen it. The males are the only ones that make the air sound that is a way to tell them apart.
Coloring is all in the genes. And there are several mutations in the cinnamon family with all the white you are talking about sounds like a cinnamon pearl. Where as the picture I posted is a normal cinnamon pair
My Buttons have all started laying at 7 to 8 weeks have you tried more calcium. I grind up hard boiled eggs shell and all to feed mine extra calcium and protein

 

[Akane]

I only had one with the pearl gene and it died before laying eggs. I have none with pearl in them anymore. My original 7 consisted of 1 golden pearl hen, 1 red breasted cinnamon hen, 1 slate male, 1 silver male, 1 red breasted silver hen, 1 red breasted hen, and 1 red breasted male. The red breasted male was overly agressive and culled and the pearl died. My 2nd generation was heavily silver with many ivories and nearly all red breasted. I kept a pen of ivories and then of the non silver ones I kept a blue face cinnamon, double factor blue face, and pair of red breasted cinnamons. I tried to put the cinnamon red breast with the blue face hens but he's agressive to any other button but his cinnamon red breast hen. For that reason my 3rd generation has been yielding mostly red breasted cinnamon and red breasted ivory which I haven't set any of their eggs. I decided I dislike the silver buttons except for the odd red breasted ivory male which is interesting so I have some potential tuxedo buttons in the bator to hatch friday along with finally some fertile eggs from my blue face hens and a slate red breast male.

I've used various calcium supplements but found no improvement in eggs, more eggs, or any sooner laying. The only thing that has had the slightest impact on laying age for mine has been protein. Otherwise despite them being inside it seems more likely a day of nice weather will trigger laying than anything I do including light amounts and diet changes besides protein. I'm learning to just be patient. All of a sudden one day when they are ready to lay there will be a whole bunch of ruckus from the room with the buttons and then eggs will start appearing by the dozen in the next week.

 

[citalk2much]

They do tend to have a mind of their own little creps.
I would love to see the tuxedo if you get any