Final check before I sell him/her: Roo or Pullet?

[MrsBachbach]

Here are pics of my other growing chicks, all 2 1/2 weeks:

From the left: Blue/Black Splash Orpington, Lavender Orpington, Buff Americanas (2)


Here is a better picture of their feather development from the side. All of these were confirmed female by the feather test at 2 and 3 days, and have continued to develop as pullets should.


Again, akward teenager stage of feather development on my buffs in full view here. My lavender is so photogenic!

Ok, I have to ask. What feather test is available to determine sex of Ameraucanas at 2 to 3 days of age? As a breeder of Ameraucana, I would sure like to know and so would many others. It's hard to tell from the picture, but I would have guessed one to be a male because of the leg thickness. I can't see the other to compare.

 

[thecaped]

Hi there! I am not sure about this method, but I sexed mine by looking at the quill tip lengths. You can watch this type of sexing in action if you YouTube "Dirty Jobs Chick Sexing"; the host goes to MurrayMcMurray and watches the chick sexers, and they demonstrate the difference in sexes, which is only some percentage accurate, but pretty darned accurate nonetheless. There are also chick sexing quizes available, and since I'm a chick newby, I practiced before my hatch.
This is not sexing by feather colors and patterns as with "Sex-link" chick breeds, this is using the tiny quill points that are visible on the tip of the wing of a 2-3 day old chick of any breed.
When I sexed mine, I found them all to be females except one, with one of the females questionable. The questionable female is the one that this thread had been following.

 

[thecaped]

I forgot to mention that the reason I feel sure that my females are females is because after sexing, I have payed attention to other traits from tail feather development/ carry and leg thickness to the hat test, and all confirmed what I found originally with the feather test. Some people say that the feather test only works with certain breeds, but what seems to be true is that having certainty is easier with some breeds while others need a trained eye. ? ? ?
Anywho, it seems to have worked for me so far . . .

 

[MrsBachbach]

Are you talking about the K feather gene? I have read up on that but you have to have a slow feathering female mated to a fast feathering male in order to identify the sex of the chick by feathering at hatch. At least that is what is claimed.
I followed my hatches for about three years recording their feather growth and then mated them accordingly. I found it wasn't reliable. I don't know, maybe I was identifying their fast/slow rate incorrectly, but after checking the chicks for three years in a row you would think I could tell the fast featherers from the slow ones.

 

[thecaped]

Opps! I had no idea that sexing this way was only specific breeds! SO sorry everyone. Geez. This puts my whole flock into question.
But, like I said before, after trying this method, it seems to be proving pretty accurate. Maybe I'm just a lucky guesser, and a trip to Vegas is in order Thanks, all.

 

[salt and pepper]

Both are roosters

 

[Tacampbell1973]

Well crap, disregard whatever I said because now I'm not even sure about mine. My tiny baby runt Sammy now has tall combs too instead of flat like the other supposed girl. Out of four straight run chicks it's looking like three of four may be roos after all . Sok I love em anywho and will just have to try to house them all separate somehow., Hope I get over this soon or i will run out of land.

 

[Tacampbell1973]

That is by far the cutest stage, the teenager stage.

 

[Beldenfarm]

can you post new pictures? I am trying to see what roos look like at certain ages, for comparison to my own!!!