Boy or Girl from the mailed eggs?
- Farrier1987
- Stringy Old Chicken
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Boy or Girl from the mailed eggs?
So with the mailed eggs from WWW, I thought I had it figured out fairly well who was what at two months. Then La-chicken came to visit and cast doubt on my theories, and after watching for a week or so, I am thinking she could be right. So now, of the 8 from the brood, I have 5 pullets for sure for sure, one rooster for sure and two I don't know.
The two that raise questions were all yellow with black head dot as chicks. They are now fairly well fledged and I had always picked them as boys, partly because WWW said so and their comb and colour development. La-chicken thought maybe one was a girl, no opinion expressed on the other.
I have been told look for pointy rather than blunt feathers on the hackle and saddle, and that the pointy are indicative of a cockerel. So last night I caught each off the perch and examined. Neither one is exactly pointy, but one is fairly blunt feathers there. So not 100% sure, and took some pictures this morning.
My guess is that of the two black and white ones, the whiter smaller is a hen. Not sure about the other. Thoughts from others are solicited here.
The two that raise questions were all yellow with black head dot as chicks. They are now fairly well fledged and I had always picked them as boys, partly because WWW said so and their comb and colour development. La-chicken thought maybe one was a girl, no opinion expressed on the other.
I have been told look for pointy rather than blunt feathers on the hackle and saddle, and that the pointy are indicative of a cockerel. So last night I caught each off the perch and examined. Neither one is exactly pointy, but one is fairly blunt feathers there. So not 100% sure, and took some pictures this morning.
My guess is that of the two black and white ones, the whiter smaller is a hen. Not sure about the other. Thoughts from others are solicited here.
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Farrier1987. South of Chatham on Lake Erie. Chickens, goats, horse, garden, dog, cat. Worked all over the world. Know a little bit about a lot of things. No incubator, broody hens.
Re: Boy or Girl from the mailed eggs?
Both boys, the mostly white one with a few black spots is a pullet.
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- Jaye
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Re: Boy or Girl from the mailed eggs?
I think that the smaller one with the bit of "soil" on the end of her left wing looks like a girl, and the larger one with redder bigger comb, and possible signs of saddle feathers, may be a boy.
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Re: Boy or Girl from the mailed eggs?
If you were just looking at comb development I would have the same guess.
But, if these were from a possible leghorn then the comb and waddles could be for a pullet. Look at the feathers. Where do you see the point? In either saddle, back, hackle.
And I was looking how they moved..behaviour. Particularly the smaller one.
That is why I was questioning.
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Champion Breeder of the Best Birds I can. Bantam White and Black Wyandotte, Bantam New Hampshires, Bantam and LF Buckeyes, OEG- Black. Waterfowl: Embden Geese, Black Magpie, Blue Magpies and Blue Swedes.
Re: Boy or Girl from the mailed eggs?
Because both combs in the black and white chicks are so red, thats why I saw cockerals.
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- Farrier1987
- Stringy Old Chicken
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Re: Boy or Girl from the mailed eggs?
[/quote]
Look at the feathers. Where do you see the point? In either saddle, back, hackle.
[/quote]
I have been watching, and like I said, picked each off the perch last night, and I am thinking you are right La- At least that's how I am picking them now. Another month will tell for sure I guess.
WWW, any leghorn in their background? How big are the wattles and combs of the ancestors?
Look at the feathers. Where do you see the point? In either saddle, back, hackle.
[/quote]
I have been watching, and like I said, picked each off the perch last night, and I am thinking you are right La- At least that's how I am picking them now. Another month will tell for sure I guess.
WWW, any leghorn in their background? How big are the wattles and combs of the ancestors?
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Farrier1987. South of Chatham on Lake Erie. Chickens, goats, horse, garden, dog, cat. Worked all over the world. Know a little bit about a lot of things. No incubator, broody hens.
- Happy
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Re: Boy or Girl from the mailed eggs?
Aside from the comb that white one really does look like a pullet. Stance, shape, size, feathers. I'm going to guess pullet.
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- windwalkingwolf
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Re: Boy or Girl from the mailed eggs?
There are three girls that are possible mothers to those chicks (the mottled looking ones); one does have Leghorn several generations back and the other two do not. Neither of the possible fathers have any Leghorn. Looking at the hen who is most suspect, I am now second-guessing my original declaration that both of those two are male. @Farrier1987 , see right where their wingtips are? Lift up their wingtips and look for little shiny points underneath. If they get them, they'll get them there first. Wish I could blow up the pictures better, but they just get fuzzy when I do. I'll take a picture of Mom(s) tomorrow for comparison.
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- windwalkingwolf
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Re: Boy or Girl from the mailed eggs?
The white ones in the pictures are girls, we're trying to figure out the mottled ones :)At least one of the mottled ones is being sneaky
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- Happy
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Re: Boy or Girl from the mailed eggs?
Sorry that's the one I meant. The "whiter" of the two mottled ones.windwalkingwolf wrote: ↑Fri Aug 24, 2018 4:02 amThe white ones in the pictures are girls, we're trying to figure out the mottled ones :)At least one of the mottled ones is being sneaky
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