Lavender Orpington and BCM question

[jeaucamom]

OK.. found a local lady who has both the above chicks that are the same age as my chicks... a week and half old... I am going tomorrow to pick up... they are so darn expensive. and they are straight run.. so I really need to try to maximize my girl to boy ratio....

So..... do either the males or females develop faster in this breeds?

I am going to try to pick the smaller of the ones available.. but just wondered if anyone had any experience with these breeds... and if you can tell early on what gender they are.. thanks...

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

Quote:
It is my understanding that ameraucana babies have to grow older before you can tell a pullet from a roo.


I got two ameraucana babies two years ago, and I didn't know I had a roo until I heard him make his first attempt at crowing -- and that was at about eight weeks old! Before that, I thought I had two pullets, but it turned out that I had one pullet and one roo.

 

[Diamond Wire Farms]

I don't have very much experience with Orps.

For BCM~ At 1.5 weeks you will have a few that are more than likely boys. I can see comb development on quite a few boys starting at 1 week. To maximize your potential pullets, choose the chicks with the smallest combs. It is not going to be 100%. But once you sort out the "surely boys" it should get you closer to a 25/75 split.

Maybe an Orp expert will happen by if I give you a bump.

 

[ChooksChick]

In most lines of BCMs you can look for tail development- less tail= boys in most cases. Same in Orps in most lines, but not all, by any means.

 

[jeaucamom]

I am fairly confident the two BCM I got are both girls. They have very small combs and big tails.. and I dont' know.. they just act girly... I know that sounds dumb, but you know what I mean.

Now the orps... I just don't know. I have sat in front of their brooder for hours staring at them. I go from sure they are all girls to sure I have three boys. The one I consistently think is a girl has a tiny tail, so that confuses me. The one with the biggest comb, which is still pretty small, has a big tail. Then there are two with good tails and medium combs. I don't know.. I am driving myself crazy trying to figure this out. I guess I am going to have to wait. ERGGG.. patience is not one of my better virtues!