Totally Different Feathering

[BessieMae]

I got 2 olive Egger chicks last week. I’ve been reading here about wing/feather development in helping to sex chicks. I know it’s wayyy to soon to tell, but there is a significant difference between the two. I can see 3 rows of wing feathers and tail feathers on the larger one, and only 2 rows and no tail feathers on the other. Could the tailess be a cockerel, or is there still no telling? Both purchased as pullets.

 

[NatJ]

I’ve been reading here about wing/feather development in helping to sex chicks. I know it’s wayyy to soon to tell

For feather-sexable chicks, it is not too soon to tell.
But you probably do not have feather-sexable chicks.

There are genes for fast feathering and slow feathering. If someone breeds the right combination of roosters and hens, they produce chicks who can be sexed by feathering speed. But other combinations of parents will produce random feathering.

Most breeds of chicken have just one feathering speed. Fast is most common, but certain breeds have slow feathering. In hybrids, it is not rare to have chicks that feather at different speeds without telling anything about the gender.

but there is a significant difference between the two. I can see 3 rows of wing feathers and tail feathers on the larger one, and only 2 rows and no tail feathers on the other. Could the tailess be a cockerel, or is there still no telling? Both purchased as pullets.

Depending on where you purchased them, I have no idea how accurate the "pullets" label would be.

I would not expect feather sexing to work on those chicks, so you will probably have to wait until they are old enough to tell sex by other methods (like comb & wattle growth.)

 

[babyratt]

I got 2 olive Egger chicks last week. I’ve been reading here about wing/feather development in helping to sex chicks. I know it’s wayyy to soon to tell, but there is a significant difference between the two. I can see 3 rows of wing feathers and tail feathers on the larger one, and only 2 rows and no tail feathers on the other. Could the tailess be a cockerel, or is there still no telling? Both purchased as pullets.

I just did the ass check. Fancy is a boy but his feathers are less developed than the others. Pretty sure Steve is a boy too but he's as pretty as the girls.