New Brahma Group: Blue Partridge x Partridge, Plus Dark

[speckledhen]

What are you seeing at that age for sexing in the breed? I don't notice a difference, so I'm curious to what you are seeing.

In partridge, solid black hackles and orange shoulder/chest feathers are male traits. If those feathers are patterned, that is a pullet. You can't tell by combs at all with these.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Geez, for some reason I forgot partridge is colored differently in the sexes. Thanks for the reminder. (feeling dumb at the moment)

 

[speckledhen]

Geez, for some reason I forgot partridge is colored differently in the sexes. Thanks for the reminder. (feeling dumb at the moment)

Not dumb at all. I have to learn to relax and just wait for them to feather out to that point and call it then. It's not easy when I have customers who want to know soon, but can't rush these. Because my Betsy carries an apparent mahogany gene, she feathered out more reddish than the other blue partridge hen and I thought for the longest time that she was a he, but then, I realized the feathers were patterned and not bright orange so a sigh of relief! That group had four males and five females in it. And usually, the splits have been pretty even, but this batch seems to be male-heavy, though I'll have to wait another few days to be sure.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I would still take the boys, they are gorgeous, but I understand why everyone wants girls.

 

[speckledhen]

I would still take the boys, they are gorgeous, but I understand why everyone wants girls.

If someone has a place to keep them, they are sweet boys and I think if they wanted to sell them later, they have a bird that is generally more valuable, being more rare. But, if someone has a limited number of girls, these boys can be rough simply due to their size. You see how most of my girls have saddles, or look scruffy. Bash is a heavy drag on these ladies and he truly should have at least ten or twelve of them.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I have some hatchery buff Orpington roosters that are big boys, your Bash must be a giant in comparison. Mine do squash the smaller hens a bit and there is some wearing of the feathers so I can imagine what bigger boys would do.

 

[speckledhen]

I think I have a blue partridge pair, plus two straight partridge males, in this first batch. Here is the one I believe is a blue partridge cockerel. See the chest feathers, the blue with orange, plus the little orange feathers coming in on the shoulders?
I think the other blue partridge may be a pullet. So far, it looks girly to me. So, my customer will want the pair and I'll have two partridge cockerels to sell. Then we start all over with Brandy's six chicks.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

What a meaty handful he is.

 

[speckledhen]

What a meaty handful he is.

Hope he's as sweet and lovable as his dad.

 

[speckledhen]

Pecking order with the four almost-five-week-old chicks has begun in earnest. I'm uploading video of the brutal battle but I also got a few still photos of them going at it. The only one that there is any hope for being a pullet at this point, I'm not 100% sure is a pullet, though no orange feathers have shown up yet. There are two definite partridge males, one definitely blue partridge male and the last blue partridge is not quite certain yet. I have close ups of the hackles and chest feathers, so chime in on that one, but here are the pics of those. And below the one week old chicks as well.

First three are the questionable chick. Male or female? No orange feathers at all so far. @Sjisty

And battle photos, LOL.

AND, tiny cuties.