Help sex my chicks !!!

[Ethandilley03]

Hi, its probably to early to sex these chicks, they are only 3 weeks old. Im struggling to sex them because I have 5 different breeds and I cant really compare them to each other. Some have developed feathers quicker than others. Does that matter?

 

[JedJackson]

The Marans looks like a boy, judging by its overall lighter coloring. The duckwing one seems to have a larger comb for that size, so it may turn out to be a cockerel as well. Time will tell. It is too early for certainty except, in my opinion, with the Marans.

 

[nuthatched]

Is there something up with the first birds eye?

 

[Ethandilley03]

Is there something up with the first birds eye?

No its just the flash from my camera

 

[Winderdear]

I agree the Cuckoo Marans looks like it might be male. There is a lot of white in the feathers, and the headspot is quite large and extends down the neck (though that might be just because the chick fluff is growing out). Here is my female Cuckoo Marans at 3 weeks for comparison:



She was (and still is) mostly black with some white speckling, and her headspot was very small.

 

[Ethandilley03]

I agree the Cuckoo Marans looks like it might be male. There is a lot of white in the feathers, and the headspot is quite large and extends down the neck (though that might be just because the chick fluff is growing out). Here is my female Cuckoo Marans at 3 weeks for comparison:

View attachment 3628904

She was (and still is) mostly black with some white speckling, and her headspot was very small.

Oh no i think mine is probably a male, its comb also seems to be growing bigger by the day. Thanks for the photo it helps to compare.

 

[Winderdear]

Oh no i think mine is probably a male, its comb also seems to be growing bigger by the day. Thanks for the photo it helps to compare.

You’re welcome! I’m sorry if you didn’t want a rooster. Did you order them from a hatchery as sexed pullets? Cuckoo Marans are an autosexing breed (meaning you can pretty accurately distinguish gender on day one), so you have a really high likelihood of getting girls if you order from a hatchery and don’t buy straight run.

 

[Ethandilley03]

You’re welcome! I’m sorry if you didn’t want a rooster. Did you order them from a hatchery as sexed pullets? Cuckoo Marans are an autosexing breed (meaning you can pretty accurately distinguish gender on day one), so you have a really high likelihood of getting girls if you order from a hatchery and don’t buy straight run.

No i hatched the eggs myself had 3 cuckoo maran eggs only one hatched so didnt have any comparison.

 

[Winderdear]

No i hatched the eggs myself had 3 cuckoo maran eggs only one hatched so didnt have any comparison.

I see! I’m sorry only one hatched out of three. I would also feel unsure if I was trying to sex a lone chick, even if it was autosexing. Hatcheries have so many birds to compare, and they have a lot of experience which I imagine is how their accuracy for sexing autosexing breeds is so high.