Fertile eggs?

[NatJ]

No, patches is allmost 4 weeks old. And Im talking about the shoulder patches. His father started getting them in around 4-5 weeks old. Sorry about my phrasing. Here are some pictures of the fathers shoulder patches at 4 weeks old View attachment 3278383and patches.View attachment 3278385 Its hard to see in this picture, but they are starting to curl over the wings.

That makes sense

Yes, at almost 4 weeks, he is getting into the range where telling gender can be possible. I obviously got mixed up about who hatched when!

 

[Cool_Catrules456]

That makes sense

Yes, at almost 4 weeks, he is getting into the range where telling gender can be possible. I obviously got mixed up about who hatched when!

Its okay! It happens. But he is showing small signs of being a male. It will be another week or so to be sure. But he most likely is a cockerel.

 

[Cool_Catrules456]

So I just saw on a sexing post of easter eggers, their combs can be sexed by how many sections their combs have. 3= male 1= female. It seems to be true with adults. So I dont know how young you can sex them, but one of the week old chicks is probably a male. I see 3 clear sections. (its the golden laced chick) I am going to take a closer look at them and see if this sexing is accurate.

 

[Cool_Catrules456]

Silver buff chick has only one section. And also is feathering out super fast.
Golden laced has three. Very slow at feathering out despite hatching first.
Brown buff orp, has 1 section and is feathering out nicely. (Starting to think the slow feathering gene did show though-)
White leghorn chick, has one section as well. And is feathering out well. (If it is that probably means patches is a female, they feathered out quickly)
I really hope this is true, because 1 male to 3 females is really good.

 

[NatJ]

So I just saw on a sexing post of easter eggers, their combs can be sexed by how many sections their combs have. 3= male 1= female. It seems to be true with adults.

It does seem true that more males than females show 3 distinct sections, but it is not universally true.

As proof that it sometimes fails: I have seen cockerels with 1 section in their pea combs, and adult hens with 3 sections in theirs. I haven't seen many adult roosters with pea combs, and I don't pay enough attention to details on young pullets, so I can't tell how often they have exceptions too.

Silver buff chick has only one section. And also is feathering out super fast.
Golden laced has three. Very slow at feathering out despite hatching first.

If their father was fast feathering, and if their mother was slow feathering, you would have feather-sexable sexlinks (slow males, fast females.)

If you raised the father from a chick, do you remember whether he feathered fast or slow? If he was slow feathering and also carries the gene for fast feathering, it would be useless to try feather-sexing on his chicks because either gender could feather at either speed.

But if the father is fast feathering, then all of his daughters would grow their feathers fast. Sons would be fast or slow depending on what their mothers are.

 

[Cool_Catrules456]

It does seem true that more males than females show 3 distinct sections, but it is not universally true.

As proof that it sometimes fails: I have seen cockerels with 1 section in their pea combs, and adult hens with 3 sections in theirs. I haven't seen many adult roosters with pea combs, and I don't pay enough attention to details on young pullets, so I can't tell how often they have exceptions too.


If their father was fast feathering, and if their mother was slow feathering, you would have feather-sexable sexlinks (slow males, fast females.)

If you raised the father from a chick, do you remember whether he feathered fast or slow? If he was slow feathering and also carries the gene for fast feathering, it would be useless to try feather-sexing on his chicks because either gender could feather at either speed.

But if the father is fast feathering, then all of his daughters would grow their feathers fast. Sons would be fast or slow depending on what their mothers are.

All but the leghorn are fast featherers. The father feathered out both? Slow for belly feathers but fast for Hackle and saddle feathers

 

[Cool_Catrules456]

All but the leghorn are fast featherers. The father feathered out both? Slow for belly feathers but fast for Hackle and saddle feathers

And yes I know it fails sometimes, but I said I would like to test how accurate it is.

 

[ShineyDiamond13]

View attachment 3225458View attachment 3225460
Day 4, dark brown egg,
View attachment 3225463View attachment 3225464
Light brown egg. Day 6.
Last egg that im not sure about (there will be more). White egg. Day 3.
View attachment 3225465View attachment 3225466

It’s real early to tell still I usually wait until day 9 or 10 before I candle to see if fertile

 

[Cool_Catrules456]

It’s real early to tell still I usually wait until day 9 or 10 before I candle to see if fertile

They did end up being infertile, but I did end up with chicks!

 

[Cool_Catrules456]

Heres the chick that I am fairly sure is a male. (Yes its too young to tell, but this chick is way too brave.)

the comb is slightly bigger than the others. The way it stands screams cockerel. And the others all arefeatehring out 10X quicker. I know that probably means nothing but still, I find it odd how they are starting to get tail + shoulder feathers, yet this chick has yet to get any of that? Its probably nothing though. Just want a second opinion on this chick.