Gender Guessing

[Pixijayne]

I have a little 3 - 4 week old chick that has had many struggles and I was wanting to take it to the vet but ... if its a roo thats a bit of a cost for something that I will not be keeping.

So I know there are no guarantees but can I get some best guesses.

I have a clutch-mate with it .... the one that's struggling is of course the smaller one ....

Mum is a smooth feathered silkie looking X, she looks just like her silkie mum but with smooth feathers.

Dad is just a backyard mix, with a barnevelder grandad.



Chick 1


Chicks 1 &2 and Dog 3


Chick 2

 

[GoldenFlight]

They are so small, I think it's too early to tell. Sorry.

 

[Alexandra33]

Pretty early for Baby #1.....it should take a few more weeks of growing before there are any indicators. Your second little one, however, is most definitely a cockerel. I've almost never seen a chick with such a large, red comb at so young an age!

They're amazingly cute fluffy butts, by the way.

~Alex

 

[Pixijayne]

Im scared to say I'm with you, Alex ... #2 for the last few days just feels like a cockerel when I grab it, to pick it up. They have a harder muscular feel than the girls, in my often wrong opinion.

Which is a shame as I have had these 2 in the house in the middle of the living room on a table (in their brooder) we have become quite attached to them both.

#1 is still struggling, it has an eye that is not right. I'm cleaning it 2x a day with saline, and using a moisturising eye ointment on it. After treatment it looks quite good, but before it kind of looks like a dead animals eye, slightly sunken and leathery.

Oh well only time will tell, but #2 is enormous compared to it's outside clutch mates and this little struggler #1 ...

 

[JennaMW14]

Agree with Alex, second one is definitely a rooster and I'm not sure about the first one.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Id still wait to tell.I had a pullet who had a bigger comb then the actual cockerel when she was younger (like 4,6,7 weeks).But they generally turn out to be roos.

 

[kenzieschickens]

I have found these images to be very helpful!!

[/IMG]

 

[lazy gardener]

I have found these images to be very helpful!!

[/URL]

Only on specific crosses of a fast feathering roo of certain breed over a slow feathering hen = fast feathering chick pullet, at least according to the literature.