Sexing BCM chicks

[sbrown]

First off let me say this Marans hatch has been very disappointing. I went and got 24 eggs to set and only 8 hatched. I lost one this week which worried me. Now I think almost all the remaining ones are cockerels except the blue marans chick. These pics are not the best but you can see there combs are already red and a little big to me ar 5 weeks old.

 

[SIMZ]

Sorry about your hatch. Bad hatches are so disappointing.

I can't tell a lot from the pictures, but I'd say red combs and red on the wattles is a good sign of a cockerel. Probably not what you wanted to hear, right?

I am wondering about the last 2 pictures, though. The bottom, especially, might be a girl.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Ya, it does seem like you have a lot of boys looking at the combs, the last one sitting on the ledge at least looks to be a girl so far. Sorry you had such a disappointing hatch.

 

[sbrown]

Yea, not gonna give up yet but my EE hatch had done so well and all those thrived. It seems mixed breed anything is healthier and heartier than purebred animals. Of course thats got nothing to do with the sex. Pretty sure the blue one is a pullett. Gonna keep it either way and probably one of the black copper cockerels. At least I will have 2 come spring. I used to think people charged to much for there hens and stuff until I started raising my own and see the time, effort, and cost involved in getting an adult bird. What really stinks is I had sold all 30 of my 5 week old EE chicks cause I had these hatching. Won't do that again. I have 30 more hopefully hatching Wednesday so hopefully I will have at least 10 or more pullets by spring to start laying.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Good luck with the eggs you have coming up, hope they are mostly girls. At least with a blue and a black marans you have both colors. Hatches do seem to be running heavy on males this year for some reason, figures if you sell the older ones the chicks all turn out to be boys.

 

[sbrown]

Thanks. I really like that blue and had made my mind up to keep it regardless. Pretty sure its a pullet. I'll wait till the others mature out a good bit mor and then pick the best BCM cockerel to keep. I may try some more before long but my EE chicks might be the last I do going into fall cause I have my bator outside and don't want to run heatlamps any longer than I just have to. My EE chicks are hatching now! Got two so far, several more pipped.

 

[MIKEBD2]

What do you all think about this one? Cockerel ?

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I think that's a definitely cockerel. Sorry about your hatch!

 

[MIKEBD2]

I had a great hatch, but I think 90% are female. Here's another picture. I think I like this one better than any of them.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Ah, sorry! I got you confused with the original poster!

How old are your birds?