do RIR male chicks have smaller/slower growing tail feathers?

[crunchynut]

I have 5, 5ish week old RIRs. 4 have very well established tails and the last has a tiny stumpy tail. I'm hoping that it is a he, and I have 4 girls and a boy, rather than 4 boys and a girl!

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

I would say it is the other way around, as RIR mature the males will develop longer tail feathers and often will have the give-a-way green tail feathers.

 

[crunchynut]

I know that eventually the males have larger tails, but I'm asking about young chicks. I know in some of the other breeds I've raised the males feather in more slowly than the females even though they later end up with larger tail feathers.

 

[Domes Farm]

In my experiance with heritage/breeder quality rhode island reds or almost any quality birds for that matter, the females will feather faster than the males. I had several RIR's and Brahmas grow out this year and the females almost always grew out their tail feathers faster. As they reach maturity the males feathers will eventaully grow longer.

 

[crunchynut]

Thank you. That's what I was hoping.

 

[GAteacher99]

I have 5, 5ish week old RIRs.  4 have very well established tails and the last has a tiny stumpy tail.  I'm hoping that it is a he, and I have 4 girls and a boy, rather than 4 boys and a girl!

What did you discover!? I have been wondering the same this about my chicks!

 

[DeedeeGIbbs]

If I feather sexed mine correctly at 2-3 days old, I should have 3 females and one male. The females are growing their feathers much faster than the cockerel. This is assuming I sexed them correctly. Mine are mixed breed though If that matters. Rooster is a polish. So I ended up with a polish/turkin mix and the others are Polish....and not sure. They all are currently growing Mohawks.

 

[FVRM]

Feather sexing is correct 80% of the time. The females grow feathers faster specially the tail feathers.

 

[bhwk40]

...

In my experiance with heritage/breeder quality rhode island reds or almost any quality birds for that matter, the females will feather faster than the males.  I had several RIR's and Brahmas grow out this year and the females almost always grew out their tail feathers faster.  As they reach maturity the males feathers will eventaully grow longer.
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have any pics? i have some brahmas that one is feathering out way faster than the other two also the tail is.