For game fowl: Can you tell a chick's gender by plumage color?

[tofupup]

My sneaky game hen keeps running off and having babies, unfortunately. I think I've noticed that the more colorful they are at birth, the more more likely they are to become roosters. I would assume this is because they are less genetically manipulated than the domestic backyard hens and nature wants the boys to be flashier and more attractive.

I was wondering if anyone else thinks that for *game fowl* only, the gender can be more or less determined upon hatching by their plumage? In other words, I suspect this little sucker is going to be a rooster because his little feathers are more patterned than his all-black siblings. Any thoughts?

 

[centrarchid]

Generally males not more patterned at hatch than females siblings. This definantly holds for wild jungle fowl.

Some genes are on the male sex chromosome and be used when mother is the carrierer.

Show picture of hen and possible fathers.

 

[tofupup]

This is the mother:



And I believe this little freak (on the right) may be the father:






or this could be the father too:



So you think the chick is probably another rooster based on his plumage? The siblings are all black.

 

[sdm111]

For me the short answer is no

 

[tofupup]

oh good. So there is still hope this is not another pugilistic male. I will keep hoping s/he turns out to be a nice girly.

 

[sdm111]

I personally rely on breast feathers black = stag, brown or tan = pullet, although I do have some that sometimes I can't tell they crow or lay

 

[centrarchid]

I assume you know for certain the hen is the mother. All bets off is assumption wrong. Black chicks likely to be out of brown red (last rooster). If that rooster is homozygous for brown red then light colored chick must be out of another male. First male could be father but he carries marker that would be needed in hen to do what you need.

 

[tofupup]

Really? I did not know that about the breast feathers! But know I've had some black chicks turn into girls.

What about this little monster? He has NO breast feathers!! I feel like he's a boy, though, because he is so aggressive and fearless.

 

[sdm111]

Were talking only gamefowl. So yeah most, not all like I said above but most can be sexed by breast feathers. And the Turken or whatever that is would not apply.

 

[tofupup]

So you mean the breast feathers when they're still downy? Or do you have to wait for the real feathers to grow in and replace the downy stuff?