Rumpless or late bloomers?

[MeatyCluckers]

Hi! I have three new Easter Egger chicks. They're just over two weeks old, and one has feathered out (including tail feathers) dramatically, while the other two have zero signs of tail feathers starting and still aren't nearly as feathered up.

My question is: given that there is possibly some Aracauna lineage in there - at what age can you tell if they're going to be rumpless vs. just late bloomers? Photos from the other day for tax (Trashley is the one who has feathered up, the other two are still mostly fuzzy- Trashley is also significantly smaller than the other two!)

 

[Feather queen]

Hi! I have three new Easter Egger chicks. They're just over two weeks old, and one has feathered out (including tail feathers) dramatically, while the other two have zero signs of tail feathers starting and still aren't nearly as feathered up.

My question is: given that there is possibly some Aracauna lineage in there - at what age can you tell if they're going to be rumpless vs. just late bloomers? Photos from the other day for tax (Trashley is the one who has feathered up, the other two are still mostly fuzzy- Trashley is also significantly smaller than the other two!)

I have found that young cockerals tend to Feather out slower then pullets. Tails is one of the main things I go by

 

[MeatyCluckers]

I have found that young cockerals tend to Feather out slower then pullets. Tails is one of the main things I go by

I've heard this, but it's hard to tell with these specific chicks since they can't be compared to each other since they're essentially chicken mutts and don't have same genes so wouldn't necessarily feather at the same pace to compare. I noticed with our older group, the tails and feathers developed at more or less same pace for the same breeds, but the diff breeds feathered out at diff paces, but those were all more specific breeds. It would also be funny because of the three, Trashley (the one who has feathered out) is the most "cockerel" in attitude - boldest, loudest, most social. The other two are much more timid. I guess time will tell!

 

[MeatyCluckers]

Update on this in case anybody finds it when searching later on - both of the "late bloomers" are cockerels after all (although one of them /still/ doesn't have a tail so might be both rumpless and a rooster? Idk). Gotta love a 2/3 incorrect ratio for sexed pullets!

 

[tlcmurphy]

Update on this in case anybody finds it when searching later on - both of the "late bloomers" are cockerels after all (although one of them /still/ doesn't have a tail so might be both rumpless and a rooster? Idk). Gotta love a 2/3 incorrect ratio for sexed pullets!

Good Grief, you’d have better odds with straight run.
LOVE the names!

 

[MeatyCluckers]

Good Grief, you’d have better odds with straight run.
LOVE the names!

I know, right? We were overdue for some oopsies because our OG flock was 100% pullets, but still. I know it's hard to sex chicks, but I'm not likely to go back to that place for the next group, lol. And thanks, if you can't have fun naming chickens when can you?