Sumatra sexing?

[goldysgirl]

Anyone have any guesses about the sex of these 2 sumatras? They are almost 4 weeks old, so I know it is still early. One is much larger than the other and both are really quiet and timid. I am really excited to see how the turn out!

 

[yickenscarf23]

They're probably too young to really know for sure

 

[GemmaM23]

Anyone have any guesses about the sex of these 2 sumatras? They are almost 4 weeks old, so I know it is still early. One is much larger than the other and both are really quiet and timid. I am really excited to see how the turn out!

Sexing young chicks is really hard!
I’ve had 2 really different sized chicks that turned out to be both hens even though I was so sure one was going to be a roo!
Conversely I’ve had a chick that had no comb development and I still thought was a girl until about 5 months...until he started sprouting pointed hackle feathers, grew a beautiful tail and started chasing the hens around!!!! Purely based on comb development I’ll take a guess though.. 2 little girls! Though I’ve found the best indicator in my mixed breed flock is waiting for the development of pointed hackle Feathers

 

[Gray Farms]

Way to young still especially for Sumatras. You'll have to wait quite a while yet. Not weeks I mean months.

 

[goldysgirl]

Sexing young chicks is really hard!
I’ve had 2 really different sized chicks that turned out to be both hens even though I was so sure one was going to be a roo!
Conversely I’ve had a chick that had no comb development and I still thought was a girl until about 5 months...until he started sprouting pointed hackle feathers, grew a beautiful tail and started chasing the hens around!!!! Purely based on comb development I’ll take a guess though.. 2 little girls! Though I’ve found the best indicator in my mixed breed flock is waiting for the development of pointed hackle Feathers

Thanks for your guess! I would guess 2 girls, if based on behavior. I thought maybe the bigger one could be a boy, but when I moved them all from brooder to coop, the bigger one was terrified and hiding in a corner behind a pile of bedding . I saw an old post where someone had male and female sumatras and the male chicks had much less tail feather development. These two seem to have more developed tail feathers like their females.

 

[Gray Farms]

At around 3-4 months of age their tails start developing differently. Males will have a tapered tail. Females will have more of a squared off tail. Not the individual feathers but the over all shape of the tail from a broadside perspective.

 

[goldysgirl]

At around 3-4 months of age their tails start developing differently. Males will have a tapered tail. Females will have more of a squared off tail. Not the individual feathers but the over all shape of the tail from a broadside perspective.

Thanks so much! That is good to know. I can't wait to see what I've got. They are lovely birds. I like that they are more wild than my other chickens. I love docile breeds, but they are always first to go when a predator comes around. My all time favorite bird was a buff orpington named goldy (hence my screen name) and I found her dead with her head pulled through the fence and a really sweet easter egger roo decapitated in the pen. Goldy was so tame she probably greeted the raccoon or whatever it was before it did her in. I actually prefer to handle my birds less now because I don't want them to be too tame and it protects my heart from becoming too attached.

 

[Gray Farms]

Sumatras are not a docile breed. They act more like pheasants than chickens. In over 15 years breeding them I've never had one I'd call docile.

 

[goldysgirl]

Sumatras are not a docile breed. They act more like pheasants than chickens. In over 15 years breeding them I've never had one I'd call docile.

I read they are really flighty and i didn't know if I would like that quality. But now i think it could be a benefit. Do yours free range outside of fencing? Do you notice less predator loss with them as compared to other breeds. I am so happy you responded to my post. I was having a hard tim finding much info online. Thanks!

 

[Gray Farms]

I read they are really flighty and i didn't know if I would like that quality. But now i think it could be a benefit. Do yours free range outside of fencing? Do you notice less predator loss with them as compared to other breeds. I am so happy you responded to my post. I was having a hard tim finding much info online. Thanks!

Mined are penned up all the time so no losses to predators. If you free range them they may take off. And they are very good flyers. I've had some escape and fly over 1/4 mile before landing. And they can fly straight up well over 20 feet with ease.