Sexing Black Jersey Giants

[markleathers]

I hatched 7 out of 12 BJG I purchased on Ebay. They are about 5 weeks and was wondering if I could sex them by the talon bumps? I have three that now have prominent combs and the other four have slight combs.

When I felt for talon bump, they all seemed to have them.

Any suggestons?

Mark in Rolla MO.

 

[chooks4life]

They're spurs, not talons, "talon" just means "claw" and that's their toenails, basically. Females can also grow proper spurs so it's not reliable as a sexing method.

At this age, it's irrelevant, as neither gender is growing spurs yet; in a few months, those that are going to grow them will show swollen bumps, and those that aren't won't, but even then hens who never grow spurs often still develop enlarged lumps or cuticles there.

Go with the crest development, chances are that's the best indicator at the moment. Behavior isn't reliable nor is vocalizations because everything a rooster does, a hen can do. Mounting, mating, crowing, etc. You'll probably hear that it's a "rule" that only older hens do this but when my hens have done these things, they were all young, none of them over two years and the youngest only a few months old.

Feather structure is also a more reliable sexing method. Sometimes a hen will be hormonally imbalanced and will develop a complete rooster appearance including the modified feather structures but that's a relative rarity and chances are you won't see it in your flock, so generally this is a better method.

If you notice 'darker', shinier feathers popping up on wings, shoulders, neck, rump, tail etc, chances are it's a male, you'll soon notice the difference between adult male feathering and female feathering. hens also have shiny feathers but not like a male does on wings and rump. I say 'darker' but in terms of pigment it's actually the same shade of the same color, but the structure of the feathers alters the way light interacts with them, making them appear shinier and darker.

If you are in doubt, post pics, chances are people can correctly identify them. Best wishes.