Yes. Chicks go through three stages:
1. chick down
2. juvenile feathers (what comes in after the chick fuzz)
3. adult feathers (at about 4 mos.)
The juvenile stage can take awhile. You may notice some chicks stay partially fuzzy with some feathers for awhile, eventually feathering out. They lose those feathers gradually starting around 4 months. This is when you can usually tell for sure who is male or female. Sometimes you won't get to see your birds' true colors, patterns, etc. until they're a year old. I've been told that if you're wanting to cull for breeding, to wait a year for their first molt, as by then you'll be able to ascertain what their final coloring will be. I know this has held true for my Jersey roos. Their feathering is much prettier and darker this year than it was last.
1. chick down
2. juvenile feathers (what comes in after the chick fuzz)
3. adult feathers (at about 4 mos.)
The juvenile stage can take awhile. You may notice some chicks stay partially fuzzy with some feathers for awhile, eventually feathering out. They lose those feathers gradually starting around 4 months. This is when you can usually tell for sure who is male or female. Sometimes you won't get to see your birds' true colors, patterns, etc. until they're a year old. I've been told that if you're wanting to cull for breeding, to wait a year for their first molt, as by then you'll be able to ascertain what their final coloring will be. I know this has held true for my Jersey roos. Their feathering is much prettier and darker this year than it was last.
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