Sexing Black Copper Marans

[ibellaholliday]

Hi
I hatched out some chicks 3 weeks ago, I got 3 Lavendar Araucana and 4 Black Copper Marans. I was looking to just take a peek at their wing feathers, as they have grown quite a lot of wing feathers and starting to grow in other places. I have seen that an M shaped wing, or 2 steps, indicates a female, whereas a single curve indicates male. I was happy when 3 marans had an M shape and one did not. But then the araucana all had the same single curve. Is it too early to tell still? I've seen threads saying Araucana are hard to sex but just wondering about other people's experiences with both of the breeds... Thanks

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

Feather sexing only works for lines of birds that have been specifically bred for it and only on a couple days while the babies are still very young and just beginning to get their wing feathers.

But at three weeks it might be possible to tell sex based on the comb size -- at least with the Marans. Maybe not, but it would be worth posting photos.

 

[ibellaholliday]

Welcome to BYC.

Feather sexing only works for lines of birds that have been specifically bred for it and only on a couple days while the babies are still very young and just beginning to get their wing feathers.

But at three weeks it might be possible to tell sex based on the comb size -- at least with the Marans. Maybe not, but it would be worth posting photos.

I'll just take some photos, thank you for your response

 

[ibellaholliday]

I'll just take some photos, thank you for your response

Thank you - I didn't realise the wing sexing was for very young chicks, but here are mine at 3 weeks anyway! I am aware of how slow the development is.. There is a picture of each chicks combe and wing. The last chick has developed a lot more tail feathers, which I have been told is a sign of a female, but it is a lot noisier and also kind of jumps at other chicks with wings out in a Cockerell ish manner? I would appreciate any thoughts or contributions

 

[3KillerBs]

Thank you - I didn't realise the wing sexing was for very young chicks, but here are mine at 3 weeks anyway! I am aware of how slow the development is.. There is a picture of each chicks combe and wing. The last chick has developed a lot more tail feathers, which I have been told is a sign of a female, but it is a lot noisier and also kind of jumps at other chicks with wings out in a Cockerell ish manner? I would appreciate any thoughts or contributions
View attachment 3089460View attachment 3089454

I'm having trouble telling which photos are of the same chick, but I think there are at least 2 boys -- the ones with the biggest combs. It will be more accurate at 4 weeks than 3 and more accurate still at 6 weeks.

 

[Acrosstheuniverse]

I wing sexed my BCM it worked 100% accurate but this time around I wasn’t able to do the same with my ameraucana.

 

[breadlady]

View attachment 3117281I wing sexed my BCM it worked 100% accurate but this time around I wasn’t able to do the same with my ameraucana. View attachment 3117283

How did you wing sex them. My chicks are 2 days old