When & in what order do chicks feather out?

[SmallCityChicken]

We have the beginnings of tail feathers! It seems like they've grown double overnight, I swear they weren't this big yesterday. Which leaves me wondering, what comes next & when?


Also, my DC pair always seem so disheveled compared to the rest They both have this little patch of extra at the top of their wings.

 

[so lucky]

My chicks always grow out in this order:
1: Awh, they are so fluffy and cute and little!
2: Oh, they are so cute and noisy!
3: Hey! Quit acting like I'm going to murder you!
4: What is all this fluff flying around the room?...and the dander?
5: OMG, they look like little pteradactyls! So UGLY!
6: Aww, what beautiful chickens!

 

[SmallCityChicken]

Also, when will we be able to sex them? I have a sneaking suspicion Monkey is a boy, it's the loudest, always needs to be the highest, & has the biggest attitude. Monkey is also the biggest physically.

 

[SmallCityChicken]

My chicks always grow out in this order:
1: Awh, they are so fluffy and cute and little!
2: Oh, they are so cute and noisy!
3: Hey! Quit acting like I'm going to murder you!
4: What is all this fluff flying around the room?...and the dander?
5: OMG, they look like little pteradactyls! So UGLY!
6: Aww, what beautiful chickens!

 

[rosemarythyme]

You'll usually see wings, then a bit of tail. Then some back feathering, and the chest area starts filling in. Head area is usually towards the end of the process.

You can start guessing sex as early as 4 to 6 weeks but probably won't get good responses until 8 to 10 at least, depending on how prominent the signs are. In some birds it's very obvious, others keep you guessing until you get an egg or a crow.

 

[igorsMistress]

Also, when will we be able to sex them? I have a sneaking suspicion Monkey is a boy, it's the loudest, always needs to be the highest, & has the biggest attitude. Monkey is also the biggest physically.
View attachment 1926616 View attachment 1926617

Monkey could very well be the dominant hen too. I had 2 girls that co-chaired the leader role and it wasn't until hormones kicked in that rooster, another chick, revealed himself.

Between 4 and 6 weeks you might notice the comb is a little bigger than the others. It may have a slight pink tinge where the girls will not, it'll be flesh colored. This will show, usually, long before hackle and saddle feathers come in.