Hi All,
I'd post photos but am too new to the forum to do so. I know it's early days but I'd love some help sexing my chicks.
I have eight chicks, two each of BLRWs, Barnevelder, Wheaten Marans and Welsummer, that are at least half-siblings, and are two sets of hatch-mates (same rooster but different hens for the two BLRW, same rooster/different hens for the two Barnevelders etc.). The BLRWs and Barnevelders hatched 8/1, the others 8/8, making them 4 and 3 weeks old at this point. My question is, since we're comparing (half-)siblings, can we use size and feathering etc. to distinguish their sexes?
One Barnevelder is much taller, heavier, more athletic, and thicker-legged than the other, and got its shoulder feathers later. The other has longer wing feathers, so they seem like roo/pullet to me.
One Wheaten Marans is bigger, has darker wings and is more precocious than the other - also seems likely to be a roo and a pullet.
The BLRW are both very friendly, precocious, equal sizes, different coloring but otherwise very much the same kind of bird (they'd better both be hens or my heart will break because they are sweet-hearts).
One Welsummer has the darker head stripe and eye line than the other, but they're about the same size and same feathering.
I'm starting my coop this weekend and would love to know a little better how many of these are roos and how many are pullets. Any advice? We're naming them and getting really attached!
Thank you all!
I'd post photos but am too new to the forum to do so. I know it's early days but I'd love some help sexing my chicks.
I have eight chicks, two each of BLRWs, Barnevelder, Wheaten Marans and Welsummer, that are at least half-siblings, and are two sets of hatch-mates (same rooster but different hens for the two BLRW, same rooster/different hens for the two Barnevelders etc.). The BLRWs and Barnevelders hatched 8/1, the others 8/8, making them 4 and 3 weeks old at this point. My question is, since we're comparing (half-)siblings, can we use size and feathering etc. to distinguish their sexes?
One Barnevelder is much taller, heavier, more athletic, and thicker-legged than the other, and got its shoulder feathers later. The other has longer wing feathers, so they seem like roo/pullet to me.
One Wheaten Marans is bigger, has darker wings and is more precocious than the other - also seems likely to be a roo and a pullet.
The BLRW are both very friendly, precocious, equal sizes, different coloring but otherwise very much the same kind of bird (they'd better both be hens or my heart will break because they are sweet-hearts).
One Welsummer has the darker head stripe and eye line than the other, but they're about the same size and same feathering.
I'm starting my coop this weekend and would love to know a little better how many of these are roos and how many are pullets. Any advice? We're naming them and getting really attached!
Thank you all!
