Feather sexing BCM's

[CDennis]

I am sure there is a post about it, but when I search there is so much on marans I can't find it. I have 6 week old BCM's, can they be sexed by feathers at this point.

 

[Momagain1]

I thought sexing by feathers were for 2-3 day olds???

(still learning so could be wrong)

 

[wannabchick]

Quote:
I think your talking about the wheaten marans

I'll be following this post as I have bcm and wheaten marans in lockdown
Xoxo

 

[quintinp]

i thought that you were supposed to sex them on day 2, their wings are supposed to tell the sex, how the feather pattern is

 

[pdsavage]

It has to be also a slow feathering male bred to a fast feathering female......

 

[chkinut]

i don't know about everyone else, but in all the experience i've had with chicks in the past 2 years....i've noticed that no matter what breeds i personally came in contact with...it seems like the females always feathered out faster than the males. i hatched 2 batches chicks this year and i knew i could only keep 2 of each batch (BCM and Olive Eggers). well, i feel like i'm pretty good at figuring out who is male and female when they hit 10 - 14 days old. IMO, the males don't have tails at that time, and the females are already getting their tail feathers in pretty well....and the girls look like more of a miniature chicken shape at that time and the males look kinda goofy with short wing feathers and no tails. but i would think by 6 weeks, the feathers look alot alike on both sexes...but you may be able to tell by comb size and color at this point. i have two 7 week old BCM pullets and i picked them out of all their other hatchlings when they were only 2 or 3 weeks old....gave away the rest to friends (i had about 18 of them) and sure enough, i picked pullets. i also have two 5-week old Olive Eggers and i used the same way to choose pullets and it looks like they're pullets as well. i had about 14 hatch outta the OE and i gave the rest away to friends (wish i could've kept them ALL)!!! maybe you could post a pic? maybe i could also post a pic of my girls tomorrow (if i can get hubby's help in getting the pics on the computer).

 

[Illia]

As to the Wheaten comment - You're getting feather sexing mixed up with sexing by feather color.

Feather sexing is sexing at 1 day old by feather pin lengths.


Faster growth does not work as a sexing method. I can say for one, mine certainly follow that rule about 50% of the time!

Cuckoos and Golden Cuckoos can be sexed at hatch by the white dot on their head, Wheatens and Blue Wheatens at 1 week old or older by the color of their feathers, Black Coppers at 4 weeks old by the amount of red on their bodies and their comb size, blues and splashes at 4 weeks and older by comb size and by color patterning and depth.

 

[chkinut]

my 2 BCM have NO red on their bodies at all....well, one has ONE feather with a few flecks of red in it. i wonder when they'll start getting some red?

 

[wannabchick]

Quote:
Iam sending u photos of this next batch, illi a
Hehehe
Two favorelles,
1 bcm
2 wheaten marans
2 bw marans
Iam on day 2 of lockdown

Okay?...
Hehehehe
And thank you for teaching us

 

[Illia]

If they already have saddle or hackle feathers developing. . . . Don't count on the red coming up much more than what you see.

Some BCM's are just plain poorly colored, with little to no coppering. Funny thing is, in most cases, too much coppering usually means the bird has the genes for or will lay the darkest eggs.