Delaware chicks. Different features, different sex?

[shelleyb1969]

I just hatched my first Delaware chicks last week. At only one week old, one of them has very different features from the other two. It has darker legs, black in it's wings already, and it's wing feathers are uniform in length...whereas the other two chicks have both long and short wing feathers. Are these features any indication of this chick's sex?

 

[Lanissa86]

I believe this is a fast feathering breed, so they probably can be wing sexed.


This is a Good pic. Let me know if the link works..

http://animalsciences.missouri.edu/reprod/ReproTech/Feathersex/img003.JPG

 

[shelleyb1969]

Thanks Lanissa. I believe I have seen that link before, and it did work for my bantam cochins...but I did it when they were only a few days old. Someone here on BYC told me that it wouldn't work on chicks more than a few days old. I don't know? I'll try to explain what I see a little better...when you look at 2 of the chicks from the side, their wing feathers that are lowest on their bodies (closest to their legs) are VERY long. On the one, when you look at it from the side, it's wing feathers are all the same length. Does that make sense?

 

[Lanissa86]

This is a One Week old Delaware Pullet. Does it look a little like this?

 

[shelleyb1969]

That's exactly what "she" looks like. Actually, I just had a sneaky feeling that I've got 2 roos and 1 pullet. And no one has any day olds for me to order another to go with her.

Thanks so much for the help!

 

[shelleyb1969]

Maybe my good friend miss_jayne needs a cockerel to go with her Delaware pullets!

Oh miss_jayne, where are you...I have something you need!

 

[Lanissa86]

Well for 3 chicks be "lucky" you got at least 1 girl!!! lol.

Now I can go play the guessing game on my 3 Day olds! lol.

This not only helped you, but me also. The chick above was a Sexed pullet from Ideal this past Spring. One of the few that got me hooked on this breed! Sadly my Dog got them all so I only had them for a couple of months!

Have fun with your little ones! and Do post pics when you get the chance!

 

[shelleyb1969]

I'll be posting pics of mine again next week when they hit the 2 week mark. At just a week old, I can definitely tell that they're a fast feathering breed. You take care, and please post pics too! I'm just keeping vigil over the hatcher tonight...waiting on my sizzles!

 

[Lanissa86]

Here are the Pics of the Delaware babies!

Enjoy! I know I sure am! lol

 

[shelleyb1969]

Sooo cute. I just love them. Mine were little fuzzy butts like that one day, and the next day (it seems) they had little tailfeathers and wing feathers! I can't imagine how different their going to look by next week!