Houdans

[Puddin Fluff]

By 4 months old most of the true mottling should be coming in, by 5-6 months old they should look like a normal mottled chicken.

I have 4-4week olds. Any hints as to when I might know gender?

 

[Puddin Fluff]

Here are some pics of mine at 30 days

 

[aoxa]

Here are some pics of mine at 30 days

They both look like my boy at that age :/ My girl had more of an updo, and the boy has a slicked back hairstyle

My girl

My boy

 

[Illia]

I wouldn't say that yet. A slicked back hairdo usually means two things - 1) poor quality and small crest, which is common either gender or 2) a male with a rather large comb about to develop. See any signs yet?


With Houdans and Polish, I wait to sex them until they're around 3 months old. I feather sex them basically, looking for definite male signs. Here's some mottleds with male signs -

On the body when fully feathered, look for signs like these pointed out. Shiny feathers, colorful feathers, but most importantly, feathers with a toothy edge, glossy appearance, and at times a triangular appearance. They will be small at first and grow bigger. Look between the wings on the back and also on the wings.






See how the targeted feathers have a more toothy, pointed look and they're more sparse at the tip than normal feathers? Also they will be more iridescent and at times the mottling will be at the tip in a pointed fashion, and look brush-like and sparse.

This is a pullet for comparison. Pretty normal back, no odd feathers.




Next up is the crest. Here's a few photos to show a very nice, full crest of a cockerel who at first looks like a pullet's crest, but remember how people say pointy crest feathers means boy? Well actually, that rule only applies at this age when they're fully feathered, and developing true male characteristics. Like such - The arrows point to the true pointy feathers to look out for. I used a few images to give different visuals on length.



Notice again, feather density is sparse and appears slightly toothy, not so soft in appearance. It will also be narrow.






Also note the nice pink face, however not all will be like this. I've got a cockerel who just now got more pink than the pullets and for a while, looking at only the face, looked like a pullet when comparing the redness. A good cockerel should have hardly much of a comb. It will only come in later, however many Houdans are indeed sexable by a rather large comb, visible even at this age.

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

I didn't know you had Houdans, Illia! I know you've been interested in them, didn't realize you'd taken the plunge. Where are your birds from?

 

[Illia]

Technically those aren't Houdans

But they do resemble them in every way except a couple don't have the 5th toe. About half the mottleds I have are part Houdan, but because I'm not in it for the Houdans themselves, the Houdan parentage is nothing too exciting. In fact I don't know the original source, I just know it was a breeder from New York who ebayed some eggs. That's all I know.

 

[Chilifur]

"technically" she says... Ha! With as much Polish interbreeding that has been done with the breed, these are nearly as pure as you can expect in most places.

 

[chicks n dogs]

do you have a guess as to whether Chuck is a Houdan or Polish (maybe silkie cross)?

 

[Illia]

edited.


He's a Sultan.

 

[WooingWyandotte]

This is pretty sad then. No pure Houdans? Anywhere? I have one, but she's a hatchery gal and more Polish than Houdan is my guess..