Barred Rock gender - 4 weeks old

[wildgreen]

I’ve heard that auto-sexing with Barred Rock chicks is about 80% accurate. This little one has had me wondering pretty much since week one whether it’s a pullet or cockerel based on the comb and wattles alone. Other than the comb and wattles I’m not really sure what to go off of at this point. Does the barring give any clues this early on? Or is it just too early to tell?

 

[JedJackson]

Where was the chick purchased from? Store, hatchery, backyard breeder? Its legs are pinky white instead of yellow, so it's not a pure barred rock.

 

[wildgreen]

Where was the chick purchased from? Store, hatchery, backyard breeder? Its legs are pinky white instead of yellow, so it's not a pure barred rock.

Oh oops! I didn’t even consider that. I got it from a local feed store which sources their chicks from Ideal Poultry. They post a list of chicks they get for the week so it SHOULD be one of these breeds in the photos from the week prior and the week I purchased it…it was in the Barred Rock bin of course!

 

[JedJackson]

Oh oops! I didn’t even consider that. I got it from a local feed store which sources their chicks from Ideal Poultry. They post a list of chicks they get for the week so it’s one of these breeds in the photo…it was in the Barred Rock bin of course!

To me it looks like it's either an early developing cuckoo Marans pullet, or else an olive egger cockerel. I'd just wait and see a bit, watch to see if the comb and wattles keep growing and if they get color soon.

 

[JedJackson]

Oh oops! I didn’t even consider that. I got it from a local feed store which sources their chicks from Ideal Poultry. They post a list of chicks they get for the week so it SHOULD be one of these breeds in the photos from the week prior and the week I purchased it…it was in the Barred Rock bin of course!

My bet is it's a leftover olive egger cockerel. Hopefully other posters will give their opinions, too.

 

[wildgreen]

My bet is it's a leftover olive egger cockerel. Hopefully other posters will give their opinions, too.

Thank you! If it helps this is what it looked like when I purchased it.

 

[JedJackson]

Thank you! If it helps this is what it looked like when I purchased it.

Very cute! I'm sticking with my last guess but only time will tell for sure. 4 weeks is a little early to tell gender with any certainty.

 

[wildgreen]

Very cute! I'm sticking with my last guess but only time will tell for sure. 4 weeks is a little early to tell gender with any certainty.

Thanks so much! I learn something new from y’all on BYC every day!

 

[wildgreen]

My bet is it's a leftover olive egger cockerel. Hopefully other posters will give their opinions, too.

Also if you don’t mind explaining what makes you think Olive Egger vs Cuckoo Marans? Thanks

 

[paradisepentacoop]

Also if you don’t mind explaining what makes you think Olive Egger vs Cuckoo Marans? Thanks

I second this. It looks like all the Cuckoo Maran reference images I have been looking through while trying to figure out what my new batch of pullets are!