I know 12 days old is too early to tell BUT... [pics}

[jossanne]

I'm having a blast watching my McMurray rainbow variety grow and change. My poor family is neglected because I can't seem to drag myself away from the chicks. So I've got two that I've diagnosed already as cockerels, cute little guys. I just wonder if my reasoning is anywhere near sound when it comes to this judgment.

SO... how accurate is it that with American breeds, cockerels tend to feather out more slowly? For example... this 12 day old GLW chick next to a RIR. Sorry, no other wyandotte to compare him/her/it to... I'm guessing the GLW is a cockerel. Notice his wings are barely coming in and he has no sign of tail feathers yet.

AND... here are two of my 5 silver-spangled hamburgs. One is much larger than the rest, and one is much smaller than the rest. This pic is of the larger one and one of the medium-size chicks. I'm thinking that because this chick is so much bigger, he's a European breed and he's feathering out quickly with a much longer tail, and he's much more flighty and outgoing than the others, that makes him a boy. What do you think?

 

[LilPeeps]

Give it a couple more weeks then post new pics.

Cute chicks!

 

[jossanne]

Thanks Peeps. I'm giving it all the weeks it needs, but I just wondered if my reasoning had any logic to it, mostly.... I think this is almost the funnest part of getting an unknown variety of birds, trying to figure them all out.

 

[tadkerson]

The chicks may be the product of sex linked crossing. There is a recessive allele called rapid feather growth k+ and a dominant allele for slow feather growth K. If you cross a slow feather growth female with a rapid feather growth male, the male offspring will be slow feathering and the females will be rapid feathering. You can separate the males from the females when they hatch. The females will have primary feathers that are longer than the males.

American breeds are usually slow feathering while Mediterranean breeds are rapid feathering. The fastest feathering breed I have ever seen is the brabanter.

Tim

 

[Break an Egg]

I had picked out two straight run chicks at the feed store that were both NHR's and the male took longer to feather out on his tail and wings.

 

[jossanne]

I just love watching and guessing. I'm hoping I'm proved wrong on these two guesses, but we'll have to see...

If I'm right, I'll have some beautiful roos hanging out.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I had two BO and one had a much longer tail but they were both female in the end. I wouldn't put to much faith in how fast they feather...but watch that comb. I can tell usually around two - three weeks if they are going to be a boy...especially if there are others like it in the bunch. Its much harder to tell if you only have one...nothing to compare it to. If you post a close up of the comb a lot of times someone may be able to guess right if they have had the same breed. Post more pics next week

I love guessing.

 

[cjeanean]

Cute little chickies!!! I've had some pullets grow feathers slower, and some males grow slower.

I don't know anymore, I just wait for the combs to come in!