Pictures of the chicks

I think the BCM hens are so pretty. Doesn't hurt that they lay those amazing chocolate colored eggs either.

So are you saying if the comb on a young chick like this is redder than its a boy? I must say I am totally clueless about these things.

That Marans chick always has such an intense look about it.

So the one lavender chick that has a lot of tail feathers is the one I had to feed until it got stronger. Some of these chicks have absolutely no tail feathers showing yet at all. Some are just starting. But that one has alot and much longer than everyone else.

In that case you may have saved your only pullet - good job!

Thats what I was thinking. It has tail feathers that you just can not miss. One of the other lavenders has nothing yet and two have a feather shaft or two just, just coming on the tail. Those two black ones have no tail feathers either. I will laugh my head off at the irony if it turns out I have one pullet that I saved because I helped her out of the egg and then fed her with the egg mixture recommended here. I can tell which one she is as she has the tail feathers and much more wing feathers than everyone else but otherwise you could never pick her out. She is a fiesty little thing. Also friendly in that she doesn't mind being picked up either.

New chick pictures coming up. The big guys are 4 weeks and the little guys 2 weeks.

This one has looked like a rooster since before 2 weeks. The comb just keeps on getting bigger and you can't miss seeing the wattles comming.

He is getting all this nice gold coloring on the back of his neck.

Here is the olive egg hatch mate the blue (I hope) pullet.

A good view of her pea comb

MY BCM chick that I am hopeful might be a girl.

The comb on the BCM is so mush smaller compaired to the roo and there are no golden feathers on the back of the neck.

This is the little lavender that I had to hand feed. It has lots of tail and wing feathers. Ignore the lack of feathers by the neck. It is only noticable when it streatches its neck like that and goes back to the fact that lots of its fluff was gonked up for its first week of life. Guess it scratched it out grooming. It is not being picked on (no one would dare) by the others.

Another of the lavender chicks. I am pretty certain this is the same chick as I took pictures of last week above in this thread.

humm, it doesn't want me to post more pictures, they are not coming up.

My favorite of the two blacks. This one has so much white.

This one is much darker.

I have no clue roo from the girlies, but they're sure adorable!

So cute. The lavender chicks are to die for.

Pretty babies Rita!

So I was really, really looking at the younger chicks today as I was ready to feed them their mealworm treats. They are all about the same size but the difference in the feathers of the one I had hand fed and the others is quite amazing. She has a long tail and lots of wing feathers showing. Some of the others have no tail at all yet. Most have hardly anything starting there.

I was also looking closely at combs and wattles. She has the very smallest comb, very pale and no wattles starting at all. One of the blacks you can clearly see the red were the wattles are coming and the comb really looks redder to me. Eryone else in in between on combs and wattles. I think 2 black roos, one lavender roo, one lavender pullet and two lavenders as yet to be determined. They are 3 weeks Saturday.

The first one (banded) is a pullet for sure.

The second one, I was dead wrong.. it's a roo. In the first picture, it looked like it had a pullet wing, but now I can see it was holding it high.. and the obvious roo wing was hidden in the first pic.. see the bottom feathers how they are longer? In the first pic, the long part is up high and looks to be shaped like a >.. which is usually pullet.. also, the first pic looks like it has a tail.. but not having the others to compare to, I was wrong.. I'm sorry!

They are darling!

See? That is my philosophy on pullets... if you hadn't intervened, it wouldn't have made it.. and also, it's been my experience the first to hatch is usually a roo.. (not always) but quite often..

Not too worry. It's just a game to see if we can guess sex. I am certainly not making decisions at this point LOL!

They are so cute! Gosh Rita, your going to have so many cute little chicks, you'll forget all about daylilies, lol.

I need to fire up my old computer so I can use photoshop.. I could explain the wing thing easier.. it's just a guess with a picture, but when you are there watching, you can see it pretty clear. So hard to explain with just text. There are websites that illustrate the feathering thing, my ideas are just a little different..

Yes Zz yes yes yes!!

I think it should be a "sticky" too for easier reference.

I will try to work on it.. I have a lot on my plate right now.,. but I promise I will try my best. I also need side views of wings if anyone has some.
The original pic of that lil lavender will be good to use.. The pullet above too, but I'd like others too if we can... (the younger the better)

Well look who's here. You are an amazing woman with all the plants and now this. Love every post Rita. They are ADORABLE.
sTEPH

here is video on sexing chicks but I don't think it works for all breeds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGYP3dUaVrQ&NR=1

Hi Guys, Ha , no not about to forget about Daylilies or the rest of my garden LOL! It is just that I have always wanted these silly chickens and just finially decided to go for it. I thought about it and decided the best way for me was by buying and hatching fertile eggs. So I now have two incubators.

I also know AnnieBBB from the daylily forum but it never occurred to me there might be others I know from the Iris, Lily or Daylily forums that might be lurking here. I know I lurked here myself lots.

Geez, I watched that video TWICE. I didn't see what she was pointing at at all. I would love to learn to do this and my next hatch is perfect for it. As my next hatch is sex links that are color sexed I could practice and learn the feather method were I already know the results. But I can't see it :-(( I second the NEW Thread on feather sexing. I certainly could use it !

Ritas I don't have time this AM to read all the thread today but I have to tel you I love Pics 3&4 with that puffy lil butt and the other asleep so sweetly. How cute is that.
Steph

That video is right, but it's harder to do than the way I do it. If I can't tell by looking, then I use the process of elimination.. there are many other things to go by if the wings don't show a good picture..
Very good video though! I had them guessed before she picked them up! Yipee! I haven't totally lost it! LOL

Geez, you had them sexed before she picked them up and I STILL can't tell after watching video three times. I am hopeless LOL! I plan to figgure it out on my next hatch as I will know the sex links by color so therefore will study the wings.

Steph- I keep adding pictures to the thread as the babies get older. They grow so quickly :-))

After you raise a few and have your own observations Rita, you will get it.. It takes a while to develop an eye for it.. even with coaching. It's all those hours watching chick tv and then having them grow up... you will get it! I've had a LOT of practice.. LOL I even go on BYC just to guess gender... it's my favorite thing to do. :) OCD in full bloom here. LOL

Ha, I go on BYC too on the threads were people ask what gender too. Especially the easter eggers and Ameraucanas. They will be nearly grown and I see the pictures but have no idea how those people on there are easily figguring out sex. They usually all look alike to me :-((

Right now I am looking at my four Lavenders and thinking how much difference in feather development. The one with the big long tail. One with some tail and two with almost nothing. At three weeks, the nothings are quite surprising to me. My first batch grew feathers much quicker that these.

Jenna my Black Copper Marens Pullet today. Sitting on the chair that I usually use at my computer. She comes out whenever she can LOL!

The lavenders picture taken last week.

Here they are again, still last week. You can see the long tailed pullet in the front.

Here is their current house just before they moved in.