ISA Brown 5 weeks with very short tail feathers. (pics)

[Ronithailand]

I have bought 1 ISA brown 4 weeks ago as a 1 week old sexed pullet from a local market in Bangkok but I can't be sure if it is a correct sex link, or just a mixed breed.

The color is correct for a pullet if its a sex link, the comb is still small and yellow, but I am worried about the tail feathers.
"She" has very little and short tail feathers.

She is about 5 weeks old in bellow pictures. Should I be worried?

 

[Double Laced]

I would say she is a pullet.

 

[Fred's Hens]

If it is a first generation ISA Brown, you don't really need to be concerned about sexing. They are sex linked at hatch. The males are white while the females are buff with orange/brown mixed in. This is the whole point of sex linking.

 

[Fred's Hens]

To be clear.

Lot's of folks know the name ISA Brown, so some folks capitalize on that. They re-breed the birds and sell the offspring. The ISA is a 4 way cross of specialized, parent stock. The ISA Browns we buy are first generation hybrid birds. Those birds will not breed true, meaning, you cannot breed the birds from my photos above and get more ISA Browns, in that sense. They are a terminal cross. When you breed them again and sell chicks as ISA Browns there is a level of deception in that, because they can no longer be sexed at hatch.

This is important, I think, for people to know. This would hold true for any red sex link.

If these are 2nd generation birds, the sexing will have to be done the old fashioned way. Wait until 6 weeks. The cockerels will sprout larger red combs and red wattles will appear. The pullets will sprout no wattles, nor red combs at that age. Sexing at 6 weeks is quite easy.

 

[hdowden]

This is important, I think, for people to know. This would hold true for any red sex link..

might i add that this holds true for any sex link not just the reds

now if you knew where they seller got his/her birds that would help at this point i want to lean towards a cockerel due to all that white but it could go away. best bet is to wait a bit longer like 8 weeks for more accurate guesses and 16 for people to be 99% sure from feather development

 

[Ronithailand]

Thanks for your answers.

I know that you need true pure breed to create sex link, I just dont know if I can trust the person I bought "her" from. the might be 2nd generation and there for not true sex links.

"She" still have some white in her feather, but "she" is getting darker brown by the day.

I was wondering about the tail feathers, I didnt see anyone commenting about the short tail feathers.

Assuming she is a real sex link, is it normal to have such small, short, tail feathers?

 

[Fred's Hens]

At 5 weeks, if it were a cockerel, it would already be showing signs of wattles and comb, were it a cockerel. Believe me, the guy I showed in the photo above? Look at those red wattles and big red comb, at less than 7 weeks. That's the thing to look for. Tail feathers are distinctive on each bird. Some will end up with a big tail, some with a shorter tail, some with an upright tail, etc. It doesn't concern me. I"ve raised lots and lots of ISAs over the years.

Even at 5 weeks, I'd just about bet the farm that is a pullet. Give her another week, and if no comb or wattles redden up and sprout? You've got yourself a pullet for certain.

 

[Ronithailand]

Thank Fred.
That's a great load of my back....

 

[hdowden]

repost in about 6-8 weeks

 

[Ronithailand]

will do