Wing/ Comb Development - Black Jersey Giants

[Acre4Me]

While posting some pics of feet (BJG vs BA) in another thread (https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/feet-color-bjg-vs-australorp.1225765/#post-19653593), I was requested to post pics of wings of my BJG.

They were hatched on Feb 28, 2018. I purchased from a smaller hatchery (Eagle nest hatchery http://eaglenestohio.com/). They only sell straight run of BJG - but will sex many of their other chicks. Although they have limited availability of the BJG and were sold out when I called, I asked for them to add 2 chicks to my order if they had a good hatch. They did! I suspect I might have 1 male, and one female, in part due to the difference in wing and comb development, but I am a complete novice, so really just a guess at this point. Feel free to comment!

 

[tigger19687]

Hmm I would say #1 is Pullet (different lengths) , #2 is Roo ( all same length) based on Wing.
But that comb

BUT, from your other post of them at 8wks, #2 is standing SO TALL.
Yeah I am going to say Roo.

You should mark them and we should take BETS !!

I bet $10 Virtual Dollars

 

[Acre4Me]

Hmm I would say #1 is Pullet (different lengths) , #2 is Roo ( all same length) based on Wing.
But that comb

BUT, from your other post of them at 8wks, #2 is standing SO TALL.
Yeah I am going to say Roo.

You should mark them and we should take BETS !!

I bet $10 Virtual Dollars

Can BJG be feather sexed?? I think I have one of each due to their differences, but we will see in a few weeks! One of them has a light spot at front of beak and the other has a black beak, so they should be easy to follow if that difference remains.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Can BJG be feather sexed??

Wing feather sexing doesn't work on BJG or any other breed.
Its like sex links. You cross two breeds to make a hybrid that can then be feather sexed.
You have to cross a fast feathering breed rooster to a slow feathering breed hen. In the offspring cockerel chicks will be slow feathering while pullets will be fast feathering.
It also only works from 1 to 3 days old. After that the males feathers catch up to the pullets.

 

[Acre4Me]

Wing feather sexing doesn't work on BJG or any other breed.
Its like sex links. You cross two breeds to make a hybrid that can then be feather sexed.
You have to cross a fast feathering breed rooster to a slow feathering breed hen. In the offspring cockerel chicks will be slow feathering while pullets will be fast feathering.
It also only works from 1 to 3 days old. After that the males feathers catch up to the pullets.

Good to know. Also, they didn’t have anything but fluff for the first 3 days, so certainly no feather sexing anyway!

 

[tigger19687]

From what I was reading, the Feather sexing can be done with Black's that are from Delayed feathering genes and meat type birds. BJG are from Brahmas, correct? Which is a delayed feathering breed.

Well, either way we will find out.

Edit to add, Clearly there is wing difference in these 2. So why not see if we can figure it out

 

[The Moonshiner]

From what I was reading, the Feather sexing can be done with Black's that are from Delayed feathering genes and meat type birds. BJG are from Brahmas, correct? Which is a delayed feathering breed.

Well, either way we will find out.

Edit to add, Clearly there is wing difference in these 2. So why not see if we can figure it out

What do you mean by the part in blue?
That any black chicks from slow feathering breeds can be feather sexed? And blacks from meat types? Or?
Most heavy breeds are slow feathering.
I have heard that a lot of meat type chicks are bred to be feather sexed at hatch. IDK because I have no experience and next to no knowledge of hatchery hybrid meat .
As many know white leghorns can't be used as sex links because of their dominate white genes. Many of the hatchery leghorn hybrid layers are bred for feather sexing since leghorns are fast feathering.
Austra whites and such.

 

[Acre4Me]

2 Week Old Pics: Look at this development in just one week!! OK, so I am new at chickens, and although I understand they grow fast, it is pretty amazing to see week to week changes. These 2 week old pics were taken 2 days ago, but am seeing more changes even now! Interestingly, the comb development on BJG #2 is now much closer to BJG #1. The wing development between the 2 birds seems to be the biggest difference. Will be interesting to see if I have boys or girls or one of each.

 

[Beer can]

I'd say one of each.
I usually don't worry about it till they start crowing then I know for sure Lol.
I have jersey giants, there isn't a lot of noticeable difference in the comb size until they fully mature. This winter I found out I had two cockerels that I thought were hens, didn't notice cause some of my hens in that flock are huge.
The give away was when the tail feathers started to curl, and the old rooster started getting aggressive towards them. At first I was wondering why he was being mean to a couple of the hens, duh...

 

[Acre4Me]

I'd say one of each.
I usually don't worry about it till they start crowing then I know for sure Lol.
I have jersey giants, there isn't a lot of noticeable difference in the comb size until they fully mature. This winter I found out I had two cockerels that I thought were hens, didn't notice cause some of my hens in that flock are huge.
The give away was when the tail feathers started to curl, and the old rooster started getting aggressive towards them. At first I was wondering why he was being mean to a couple of the hens, duh...

My suspicion from day 1 has been one of each, but I only have 2, and the other 15 chicks span 5 other breeds.