Here is a link to my chicks. I need some help on identifying if roos vs hens. They are 7-1/2 weeks old. Ameracauna x EEs from Sunny's stock. Thanks! If they are boys, does anyone want any of them???
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How do you tell by these pics? I've heard of several different methods but not sure about any of them - or if they apply to all the varieties...
Here are a couple of them - do any of you have any experience with them??
- In multicolored varieties, the male will have more variety of coloring in his plumage than the female.
- The male has longer and more pointed hackle feathers than the female.
- The male and female both have main tail feathers, but only the male has saddle feathers.
The following statement (similar to the above) proved true last year with my chicks. I kept them all too long and they started to crow! (I think they were about 4 mo old) by then you could really see the difference in the "hackle" and "neck" or is it the "saddle"? feathers.
The neck feathers are different on hens and roosters, too. Rooster neck feathers are longer, thinner and more pointed. Hen neck feathers are short and rounded on the end.
More recently, someone showed me how you're supposed to be able to tell by looking at the wing feathers - but supposedly this may only work on Day 1? Anyway, I haven't got to try it yet - but hope to soon! Supposedly, when you spread the wing out a bit you can see every other feather is shorter (long, short, long, short, etc...) on a girl - I don't know if this works for all breeds or not...