Telling Gender by Feathering?

[koakritters]

I've heard that females feather faster then males, and with my last 2 chicks that ended up being true. so, is this true for all breeds as long as they are the same age? I've got 14 right now and there is definitely a difference in feathering. i'd say maybe 9-10 of them (they are 1 week old today&tomorrow) have 2/3 layers of feathers on their wings and little tails growing while the rest have very few wing feathers and no tails. How accurate is feathering for telling sexes? I got it right the first time, lol...

Oh, breeds are crosses of wyandottes, marans, favorelles, leghorns, and maybe something else, who knows!

 

[Amore Galline]

I can't wait to hear answers to this!

 

[KlaHaYa Gardens]

@koakritters There is a difference in feathering that indicates gender for some breeds. That much I know, but I dare not suggest which breeds and the indicators as it does vary.

What I'm interested to know is if you will post pictures?

Thanks!

 

[koakritters]

I used 2 that look alike marking wise, so I figure they are probably the same breed or mixed breeds so they should be feathering out the same. They are also within 24 hours old of each other so not the big of age difference.

chick on left has lots more wing feathers than chick on right, notice she has the more brown head.

same two chicks, now the brown headed chick is on the right, notice how it's tail is longer than the others?

 

[snazzyboots]

we were just discussing this on another thread. if this is true i have 3 girls out of 9. they are 8 days today.

there is quite a bit of difference in the feathering in these guys. can't wait to see if this is real!!!

 

[dsqard]

koakritters those two chicks look like GLW chicks. As far as sexing by feather development, there are a lot of variables that can effect that. It can be true that you can sex them by feather development but it will depend on the breed and it can also depend on the parents from what I have read. You pretty much have to wait for the combs and wattles to start developing before you will be able to sex them.

 

[koakritters]

thanks! i had a feeling they were GLWs, the person i got them from said I would probably have lots of them, or mixes of them judging by the eggs. i've got thers (i think maran crosses) that have actual tails growing, so cute!

i'll have to see if it works for them, it worked for my chicks from my hens, lol. now next hatchin will be impossible to tell- they're all silkie mixes!

 

[WalkerH]

Yup they look exactly like my GLW when they were chicks. Now we are going on 7 weeks and they are so pretty.

They are super fun, so I think you will have fun with them.

 

[miraclz5]

I have read several thinkgs on using feathering to sex chicks....we have a mixed variety of purebreeds (cochins, marans, barnevelders, wyandottes and olive eggers)....and comparing chicks of the same age and the same breed, we can see marked differences in feathering! Not ready to say for sure.....but am looking forward to seeing if we are right in a few weeks! Your chicks definitely looked like our gold laced red wyandottes! So pretty! Good luck!

 

[Fallen Leaf Farm]

Not super experienced here, but in the two batches of Buff Orpingtons that I have had, both of my roos feathered differently than the pullets. Both looked like your slower to feather chick, while the pullets looked like your more feathered chick. Wish I could get mine at a week to two weeks old so I could look at the feathering. I have 2 roos, which is 2 roos too many at our house!

Walker7, love the waterer. Would you share how you made it? Did you just set the waterer on top of an empty Folgers container? I'm tired of cleaning the poo out of the chicks waterers!