Sexing the Brahma breed, (standard size, Light Brahma)

[Maiahr]

Thank you, so 50F is 10C, and that seems very cold to me to put baby chicks outside. I have babies that are 4 days old now, and I took them outside for the first time today. It was around 20C and sunny, they were under PVC to keep them warm and they were fine. But as soon as the sunset, they all cuddled together and I had to bring them back inside.

 

[Jandsloch]

Thank you, so 50F is 10C, and that seems very cold to me to put baby chicks outside. I have babies that are 4 days old now, and I took them outside for the first time today. It was around 20C and sunny, they were under PVC to keep them warm and they were fine. But as soon as the sunset, they all cuddled together and I had to bring them back inside.

Yeah everyone has their own preferences. Mine weren’t in the wind or anything. Like I said they were in the shed at night and out in the trough in the sun during day...it’s black and keeps warm. Then when they start to feather they r in their own shed/run....the run has fence on 2 sides and coop on the other and also itself completely fenced with hardware cloth so it was also blocked from wind. At night they went in coop and snuggled and kept each other warm. I wouldn’t leave them that young out under 50 like I said. I kept an eye on temps. Today they r playing in snow. It’s not sticking yet

 

[Jandsloch]

Here they are in the shed coop with everyone else a week after I introduced them eating with everyone.

 

[Maiahr]

Thank you! I prefer as close to natural as possible but I am a new hatcher so still learning. Our winter is quite dark here. It gets dark at around 4pm and the Sunrise is around 7-8am, so do you think I should add light for the chicks? I still need to DYI a heating mat.. the chicks a light bulb now, but I'll switch them to a mat as soon as I make it.

 

[Jandsloch]

Thank you! I prefer as close to natural as possible but I am a new hatcher so still learning. Our winter is quite dark here. It gets dark at around 4pm and the Sunrise is around 7-8am, so do you think I should add light for the chicks? I still need to DYI a heating mat.. the chicks a light bulb now, but I'll switch them to a mat as soon as I make it.

If they are not of age to lay then so sense in a light...let them out in the morning and close me up at night. I have a natural light light bulb in my shed coop for mine but that’s to have them lay because it’s dark here too. It comes on around 4am (on a timer) and shuts off around 530 6pm so they have time to get up on roosts. I leave it on all day because we don’t have windows yet. We scrambled to get ventilation and roosts/nesting boxes and poop boards done. Windows will come in spring. The natural light bulb makes it appear there is a window and it is super bright! Only 8watt but equivalent to 60watts.

 

[Rshumpal]

If they are not of age to lay then so sense in a light...let them out in the morning and close me up at night. I have a natural light light bulb in my shed coop for mine but that’s to have them lay because it’s dark here too. It comes on around 4am (on a timer) and shuts off around 530 6pm so they have time to get up on roosts. I leave it on all day because we don’t have windows yet. We scrambled to get ventilation and roosts/nesting boxes and poop boards done. Windows will come in spring. The natural light bulb makes it appear there is a window and it is super bright! Only 8watt but equivalent to 60watts.

And because we keep getting rain mine are still inside because I can’t get their coop assembled. Hopefully built this weekend and they can start being outside.
I do have the window open in the room (except when raining hard) so they are having some outside temps. Freezing at night this weekend so out during day some then hopefully next week...

 

[Mama_in_the_Dell]

Update at 12 weeks. My cockerel suspect Brahma is very much a boy. No crowing yet but he’s getting pretty shiny, pointy saddle feathers. My other one in question still looks the same. Pink comb and waddle but not red. I’m starting to think she will end up being a girl at this point. She always acted more pullet like and size wise she is now slightly smaller then the cockerel.

 

[Mama_in_the_Dell]

Better picture at 13 weeks other pictures were from Sunday

 

[Jandsloch]

View attachment 1963246 View attachment 1963247 View attachment 1963248 Update at 12 weeks. My cockerel suspect Brahma is very much a boy. No crowing yet but he’s getting pretty shiny, pointy saddle feathers. My other one in question still looks the same. Pink comb and waddle but not red. I’m starting to think she will end up being a girl at this point. She always acted more pullet like and size wise she is now slightly smaller then the cockerel.

My boy just started getting the pointy saddle feathers at 5mo old lol they are alll different. I think it’s why it takes so long to sex them!

 

[Frazzemrat1]

View attachment 1963246 View attachment 1963247 View attachment 1963248 Update at 12 weeks. My cockerel suspect Brahma is very much a boy. No crowing yet but he’s getting pretty shiny, pointy saddle feathers. My other one in question still looks the same. Pink comb and waddle but not red. I’m starting to think she will end up being a girl at this point. She always acted more pullet like and size wise she is now slightly smaller then the cockerel.

Oh no, that's a cockerel. You can see the male specific saddle feathers coming in.

or wait... we're looking at two different birds? Between the three pics?
Ok, I see saddle feathers on the obvious boy in the second pic... the first and third pic... that's a cockerel as well. I've noticed that when somebody has more than one male, the subordinate male tends to redden up and mature more slowly.