Labor Day Cuckoo Maran

[MamaJ1977]

I know it’s super early as this little one was hatched on Labor Day. I got it from a reputable farm who sexes them at birth but the pinking of the comb has me questioning things. I’m very much a newb, but from what I’ve heard, if you’re seeing pink at only 4 weeks, chances are it’s a cockerel. I’ve had a heck of a time with this round of chicks! Thank you!

 

[sylviethecochin]

Definitely male. Ignoring the pink, do you see how light-colored his wings are?

This is a female BR of the same age that I stole from the internet:

Male Barred (or cuckoo) birds are much lighter in color than female barred (or cuckoo) birds. That's because males carry two copies of the gene that causes barring, but female birds can only carry one copy. In the males, two copies of the gene causes twice as much loss of pigment in the feathers.

 

[JedJackson]

I think you are right-- you have a young cockerel. The large, pink, rounded comb is one indication. Also the wider white bars in the plumage, and the large head spot that extends down to the neck.

 

[MamaJ1977]

Ugh!!! Super frustrating! I’ve had horrible luck with cockerels this round.

 

[JedJackson]

Ugh!!! Super frustrating! I’ve had horrible luck with cockerels this round.

I feel your pain. It happens to all of us at some point or other.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

You have a cockerel. At 4 weeks old a pullet would be feathered out already.

 

[MamaJ1977]

I’m pretty positive the rest are pullets except one other that I got at the local feed store. If this one is also a cockerel I think I might just call it a day trying to buy chicks again!

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

Cockerels

Note: as said above, sometimes you can sex chicks by the barring, if your chicks come from someone who works to keep the genes pure.
BUT, most of the time, if you have stock from somewhere where they just let them breed and breed, like a hatchery, you can't rely on these things. I've seen female BRs that have exact feathering like males. That's also why a lot of hatchery stock silkies have single combs, etc. when birds are bred together generation after generation, and are to monitored, there are traits that stick up, that shouldn't be there.