Telling gender by comb size question...HEAVY PICS added in post 11

[clarkestep]

I've got 10 mutt chickies that are 4.5 wks old. I think some may be crosses between Rhode Island Red/ Easter Eggers, and some are black with brown streaks in the feathers (I have no ideas what kind of black chicken the parents were). On some, the brown is just on what looks like the spine of each feather, and on others it's like the tips of the black feathers have brown on them. All the eggs I hatched were brown except one; it was an olive greenish color (EEer). I wish I knew exactly what mixes they are, but...

they are now all starting to get their combs. Some are coming in long and narrow, and the others are coming in short and fat. The ones that are long and narrow seem to be taller than the short and fat ones. Do the long and narrow sound like boys? Or is there really any way to tell at this age?

I've been looking around here and reading the posts about combs, but all of mine are getting them all at the same time. Oh, the ones that are short and fat are mostly pinkish in color. One of the long and narrow is yellowish, and the other is mostly blackish with just bits of light pink.

I hope I made any sense at all. Thank you for any insight!

JC

 

[clarkestep]

I suppose no one had an answer. Thanks anyway!

JC

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I just saw your post, but I have to say it's really too early to tell for sure. This is one of the fun & interesting aspects of raising chicks, the big What Sex Are They guessing game. With some chicks it's more obvious & shows earlier than others. There's no way to tell for certain until around 9 weeks, when the pointy saddle & hackle feathers begin to sprout. Sometimes I'll mark the chicks when I first have a guess, and then later see how accurate I really was.

It's also fun to guess the parentage of the mixed-breed chicks, and to see the varied & unique feather colors & comb shapes that result.

More important than knowing the sex of the chicks is knowing what you will do with them. Will you keep the roos in your flock, eat/sell/give them away? Consider what you will do with them before they're fighting each other, spurring your shins, annoying your neighbors.

 

[clarkestep]

Thanks. I kinda figured that since no one answered that it was probably too early to tell. I may possibly keep one roo but I'm not totally sure yet. I don't really know how many times these birds have been inter breed so I don't know if I'd want to keep a roo from this bunch (or any other possibly). I didn't know that they were mutts until I left them for a couple of days while camping and I came home to find my RIRs with green legs! They looked light before I left! I asked the old man that gave me the eggs if he had an EE with his RIRs and he said yes. I bet these will give some U-gly eggs.

 

[Beanbag]

I just saw your post as well, and I am new to chickens. I have 5 young chicks, the oldest which is 4 weeks old or so. I have been trying to find out more info on telling males apart from females, and from what I have seen/heard, the further up the head the comb goes its male, and also the more yellow the comb is its a hen, if its getting pink its a roo. Rather confusing I think, but I have the biggest hunch, or gut feeling that my little frizzle is for sure a young cockerel. I also think the other chicks which are 3 Black Giants are all hens. (on the 3 BGs)I base this on absolutely nothing though

The BGs haven't grown in their combs what so ever yet, they are still too young. Just my hopes on the 3 Black Giants maybe? We need all hens, cept my frizzle is a personal pet so it doesn't matter if it's a he or a she.

 

[ella]

What you're describing about the combs sounds like some have single combs and others pea combs. The shape of the comb doesn't say anything about gender. But at 4.5 weeks old the ones that are really pink are most likely boys.

 

[Beanbag]

I don't have any other chicks to look at that are of the exact mix mine is that are his/her age.

But, at 4 weeks old his/her comb seems large and is turning pink. http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff303/RajahTiger/Frizzle-chick4.jpg
Also its slightly pink at 3 weeks old, in the picture link in my signature.

 

[Wildsky]

Quote:
Those mixed Roo's seem to really be beautiful.... the ones I've seen have always been stunnnnnning!

 

[spook]

Quote:
Different birds mature different rates...I had a "hen" I called Broody, just her manerisms....huh, she CROWED. DH told me I was in denial for quite a while. So if I was to say anything about the combs on your chicks...I'd have to say, they are SWEETHEARTS! I expected a average chicken, not a fuzzy character! Good luck on boys and girls.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I'm sorry Sunny, but I have to disagree with you. When the chicks are between 4 and 6 weeks old they start to develop the secondary sex characteristics and the differences really start to stand out. As a novice, I sexed my chicks at 4 weeks old and gave away my extra roos and got every one of em right. At that age, the roo chicks start developing larger (as in overall size, not necessarily width) and pinker combs, they feather out differently, esp. across the wing bows, where the little roos will have bareness, the roos generally have longer, sturdier-looking legs, and the overall shape of the tail feathers is more pointed than in the pullets.
I have to agree with ella. In a mixed flock comparing combs only will be frustrating, because not every type of chicken has the straight single comb.