Cuckoo Maran Babies - Gender, Please

[texas_chick]

Where is the 'fingers crossed' smilie?!

Don't burst my bubble...

Is there a chance these 2 week old Cuckoo Marans are girls?

(I just realized I posted the same bird twice the first time around. Now you have two different ones...

)

 

[klf73]

they look awful light

these were my cockerals

eta- pullet pic

 

[texas_chick]

Interesting! Thanks for posting the pictures.

Now I'm still not sure. I keep running from the computer to the brooder to compare...

Mine -viewed from the top- are darker than your light ones, but lighter than your dark ones.

I'll take a picture from the top.

I think mine are older too than the ones in your picture. Does the color change as the chick ages? If they get darker as they age then mine probably started out like your light ones.

 

[texas_chick]

One more question:
the two birds seem to be about the same age but one has lots of different sized feathers on her wings and the other has mostly really long wing feathers.
Does that mean anything?
I didn't know if Marans have that K gene that allows for feather sexing plus I don't even know if feather sexing still has a role after they're a week old?

 

[FarmGirl01]

I have 10 right now. By using the "rules" I think I have 50-50. A pic from the top would be good.

 

[texas_chick]

Okay new pics from this morning.
I guess I have a 50:50 ratio as well?

Could be worse I guess.

Bird 1 (top and side):

Bird 2 (top and side):

Argh she showed me a slightly bigger one that the breeder was darker with a little white head spot but it had a poopy butt so I chose the second bird instead...

 

[texas_chick]

anybody have any ideas based on the new pictures?

 

[cottagegarden]

pullet chick left

pullet chick right

@3 week old pullet chick

 

[cottagegarden]

Karin, you are going to know for sure real soon b/c they will feather in different colors, males light grey, females black. Chick one has the larger head spot and what looks like lighter coloring coming in on the wings. I am wondering if your flash washed out chick 2, b/c the down does look light
from the picture, but it doesnt have a real pronounced head spot. Compare the wing feathers of the two chicks in natural light...and the combs on the Roos get pretty big pretty fast.

 

[texas_chick]

Here's the thing. I get to exchange the chick for another as soon as I do it soon.
Which one do you think looks more questionable?
I didn't use a flash at all. Just sunlight.