Gender Bender :)

[ChickCrazed]

Out of my three 6 week old Birchen Marans, one is a gender mystery. Picture of her/him is below. He/she is a shrimp, 1/2 the size of both the cockerel and pullet hatchmates. He/she feathered the slowest (including tail and back feathers), and has a comb much smaller than the cockerel, but slightly bigger than the pullet. Comb and wattles are still very pale, like the pullet.

This is the known cockerel


another picture of the known cockerel

this is the one I can't tell -comb looks bigger here

the unknown gender in the front, pullet in the back

unknown gender in the front, pullet in the back, Combs look similar in size and color here.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Looks like a pullet to me....yet....watch and wait. I've heard that the BCM's can have a late blooming roo, although the roo's usually show themselves pretty early.

Maybe the photos are not showing it well, but it doesn't look terribly poorly sized to me. Just smaller.

I have 3 BCM's that hatched 5 weeks ago...with a similar situation...one known cockeral, one known pullet (which is noticeably smaller than the others0, and one that I thought could go either way...but several weeks later I'm pretty sure it is a pullet as the comb is still small.

Here's a photo of my 3...breeder agrees it looks like I will have 1 roo and 2 hens (time will ultimately tell, but I'm feeling pretty confident now as they near 6 weeks):

 

[ChickCrazed]

I hope we are both that lucky! Your babies look similar to my three with one obvious cockerel, only a couple of weeks behind mine! I was hoping it was two pullets, but then I had someone on the Marans thread say she thought it was just a late bloomer! Nooooooooo!!!!! I'm still hopeful but want some other opinions! I have been nervously watching for signs of a growing comb or chest feather color coming in, and don't see it yet. I still have hope!

 

[ChickCrazed]

Just wanted to follow up! at 12 weeks it is official! Two pullets and one cockerel (whose weird comb resolved itself!). I wouldn't have called that one from as long as she took to feather and her slightly larger comb!

 

[holm25]

it looks like a pullet

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Congratulations on 2 hens and a roo. Mine were that as well.