Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[chick wiggle]

Need help from you clever lot.

I hatched 2 Gold Laced Orps and am thinking 1 boy 1 girl, they are nearly 10 weeks old, what do you think?

 

Girl

 

Boy?

 

You can see the huge size difference here, except the girl was quite poorly when she hatched and we did think she wouldnt make it, but she did

 

So, whadya fink?

Edited July 3, 2010 by Guest

[sparkysmum]

Not a clue, but just wanted to say how lovely they are

[chick wiggle]

Aww thank you, they are lovely and dont mind a cuddle

[Plum]

Beautiful, and as a guess I would agree with you.

[Tutti Frutti]

Lovely! And I agree with you two too hoo hoo

[tom123]

2 Girls. When I hatched my Gold Lace last year I hatched 3/3 boys. all had combs bigger than that at 4 1/2 weeks old.

 

[chick wiggle]

Ooh, thanks Tom, I think because of the size differnce i assumed he was a boy.

[midori]

I have no idea as I am a total chicken newbie, but Wow! They are absolutely stunning!!! We had hoped to get some Orpingtons, but are in Northern Ireland and it proved difficult. Maybe one day...

 

Good luck with your babies!

[Tutti Frutti]

Hmmm so it's either...

 

first one = normal girl and

2nd one = early developing girl or late developing boy

 

Or...

first one = small, LATE developing girl because she was poorly and

2nd one = perfectly normal girl

 

Still with me? I think you'll be waiting for eggs as final proof

[chick wiggle]

Errr, yeah, thanks Tuttifrutti err yeah i think

 

Midori, thank you, i am however totally in love with your buff sussex!!!

[Daphne]

Unfortunately I think you've got an even harder problem sexing orps than normal because this size differential isn't usual at this age. So, No2 isn't necessarily a boy because its bigger/got more comb/wattle development; its just either No1 is smaller/slower to develop than normal or No2 is some kind of super-chicken! In this case I'm not sure I'd trust early feather sexing either if you tried that. I don't suppose No1 could be a bantam?

[Griffin]

I wouldn't like to say that number two is definitely anything yet but my Orp boys were very very slow to feather up and looked a complete and utter state for weeks and weeks. Number two looks well feathered.

Edited May 26, 2010 by Guest

[chick wiggle]

Well! this one seems to be a problem I am getting conflicting thoughts from everyone. The little 'un is definately not a bantam as the breeder doesnt 'do' bantams and also i have a buff bantam and the little GLO is already bigger than her.

So I will have to wait a little longer me thinks Just dont know what names to give yet Will have to go for none sex specific names

Thanks for your thoughts guys

[tom123]

To be honest, I wouldn't say the size difference is too much to worry about. I have 2 Dark Brahmas, both 11 weeks old, both boys yet 1 is 3 inches shorter. Definitely Large fowl but just a late developer.

 

 

edited for terrible spelling

Edited May 27, 2010 by Guest

[Lewis]

I thought from the head gear it was a she, but from the size maybe a he

 

 

Defiantly Large fowl

Ooops ... there it goes again Tom

[tom123]

[chick wiggle]

@ Tom & Lewis & defiantly

 

 

Sooooo... .... are we still thinking both girls?

[Madchook]

Did you get any Appenzaller hatch Sandie?

[chick wiggle]

None of them hatched Maddy temp was fine, humidity was fine, i have no idea what went wrong, im beginning to think they were infected by a cracked egg that wasnt noticed for a few days.

So, i have 6 more araucanas going in tomorro and more appenzellers going in next week. One more try, then thats it for me

How did yours do?

[chick wiggle]

Well they are now nearly 12 weeks old, so do we have any more of an idea? Pleeeeeease

no. 1

 

no. 2

 

and together so you can see the size difference

 

I need to name them soon, at the moment they are called Biggun and Littleun

 

Should just say no.2 is the bigger one

[tom123]

No 1 girl definitely, No 2 has a slightly bigger comb but then it is slightly smaller than I would expect for that age

 

Here's a pic of one of my boys at roughly that age...

 

 

[Griffin]

I think they're both girls Like Tom, mine had bigger combs at that age.

[jellykelly]

My eleven year old looked at the pics this morning (was logged on early ) and she immediately said that they both looked like girls.

How much faith can we put in an 11 year olds opinion....? who knows - but she could be right

[chick wiggle]

Thanks everyone, still not conclusive, but Tom, your boy looks remarkably like my no.2, so s/he could still be a boy.

Although, if your 11 year old is anything like my know-it-all 14 year old Jellykelly, she could be right!

mmm still confused then, ah well, we'll wait and see....................

I'll be back (a la swarzneger stylee )

[chick wiggle]

We are now at 16 weeks old and still no definitive answer

 

here is what i hope is my girl

 

and this one....well???

 

 

Answers on a postcard please....err no on here please!