sex of the Blue slate babies

[scbatz33]

Just wondering, I read my bourbon reds have a color difference in their feathering when they start to feather out. do the slate blues have the same? I have two with black splotches and one with out.....here are photos....
no black bird...

one of the ones with black...

Thanks

I'm thinking the black spotted ones are boys, but the bump on the one in the photo is bigger than the other one, so I wasn't sure. Also, they are about a month old.

 

[BigByrd24]

Hi Scbatz33,

I would say the no Spot one is a hen and the spotted one in pic is a Tom.
But I don't know about the feathering thing. Sorry.

Tim

 

[scbatz33]

That was my guess too. I just could have sworn I saw somewhere where the coloring was a determining factor. Like with my bourbon red chick has white tips - ie I read that means it's a she vs. black tips on the males' feathers.

 

[chseeads]

From what I've read about the slate's color, the black spots is just part of the 'blue' coloration genetics in general, but nothing specific to male or female.

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

from the pics 1st one is a hen and the 2nd a tom. Still is a little early to tell for 100%.

 

[PoultryPotts]

Quote:
You are exalty right that black is part of the blue gene. I saw that u r in bloomington. I live in washington. What kind of poultry do you raise chseeads?

 

[chseeads]

Quote:
You are exalty right that black is part of the blue gene. I saw that u r in bloomington. I live in washington. What kind of poultry do you raise chseeads?

Over the years I've had all kinds of chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, pigeons and what have you.

I got out of the business and haven't raised anything for several years now, but I'm getting back into it again.

I have chickens, turkeys, and geese on order.

The geese come next week.

 

[chickie_mama]

I had a blue slate hen that had the black splotches....

 

[shelleyd2008]

It very well could be that your spotted one is a male, but I agree with the other 2 posters. The way the 'blue' genetics works, you could possibly get 3 different colors from the same parent birds.