Is this Cuckoo Maran a Pullet or Cockeral??? 3 weeks old

[dutchbunny83]

I have a 3 week old Cuckoo Maran that I paid extra for as a sexed pullet. But we all know how often these hatcheries make mistakes. I really think I was sent a cockeral, but there was only one in the order so I don't have another for comparison. I'm going by the head pattern, the defined bar pattern on the wings (muddled in one photo because kept trying to fly, but you can see it in the tail feather shot better), and the lack of tail feathers at this age.

Thoughts before I get rid of her, because I don't want a roo....

 

[oakparkchick]

I've got the same issue... A four-week old cuckoo maran "pullet" we now suspect is really a cockerel. Notice how much white vs. black. Very aloof behavior... Doesn't like to be touched. Large yellow patch on the head. Seems to be feathering very slowly. just started to get a puff of a tailfeather. Can anyone help confirm whether or not my pullet is actually a rooster? I don't want to make a mistake and get rid of a perfectly-good pullet... But we cannot have roosterswhere we live.

 

[oakparkchick]

Dutchbunny, yours sure looks more pullet than mine...

 

[dutchbunny83]

Okay I don't know....

I do know that all Marans are really "flighty" and "aloof" so that could be either way. There is a lot of white, though I once had a Barred Rock that had a lot of white and it ended up being a female.
I have a silver laced Wyandotte "pullet" out there now with a lot of white that's 12 weeks and I'm 100% its a cockeral.
I know there are some errors in sexing at hatcheries, but I've had a bad run so far this year!
Out of 5 sexed pullets from Ideal Poultry, 2 were males!
Now I have this one from a different hatchery that's making me question.

I've got to google the headspot thing again, but I was thinking the boys were the ones with the irradic spots and the more solid spots were girls....

 

[dutchbunny83]

While yours does have a lot of white, the barred pattern isn't perfectly straight like it's showing up on my 3 week old.
I know the boys get the defined pattern before the girls.
I'll let you know what I find on headspots

 

[dutchbunny83]

Okay it says Males have spots on the head that are irregular in outline and scattered while females have a more even shape and distribution on their heads.

 

[dutchbunny83]

Haha so I'm still not sure what either are....

 

[popsicle]

I've got the same issue... A four-week old cuckoo maran "pullet" we now suspect is really a cockerel. Notice how much white vs. black. Very aloof behavior... Doesn't like to be touched. Large yellow patch on the head. Seems to be feathering very slowly. just started to get a puff of a tailfeather. Can anyone help confirm whether or not my pullet is actually a rooster? I don't want to make a mistake and get rid of a perfectly-good pullet... But we cannot have roosterswhere we live.

Call me crazy, but I'm pretty sure that's a Light Brahma.

 

[dutchbunny83]

I thought that at first when I saw the feathered legs, but I know Ideal Poultry sells feather legged cuckoo maran pullets, so I'm sure other places do too.
The head is very light...

 

[Branch Chickens]

Did yours end up being a hen or a roo?