Lavender Araucana

[sarahg2]

Hi!

I am about to add a few new growers to our flock, including a Lavender Araucana. I know these are notoriously difficult to sex at a young age, but any tips would be most welcome! The breeder is going to let me take two and pay for one, in the hope that at least one will be a pullet, and she will take back any that are cockerels to make up trios. I'm hoping to maximise my chances at picking at least one pullet

The younger ones (in with some other breeds) are approx. 8-10 weeks, and the older one in the last three photos is 10-15 weeks. Sorry for the poor pictures, some are video stills!

Give me your best guesses!

 

[JedJackson]

Best bet is to go with older, larger birds with flat, narrow combs that are pale, with no red or pink showing. Pea combs can be tricky, and the fact that these are (or should be) bearded means that you won't be able to use wattles as an indicator.

Another important point is to choose birds that look healthy and that are active. Sluggish birds or birds with puffed out feather that look cold should be avoided.

If you see none that has all of these qualities, don't buy.

 

[NagemTX]

Hi!

I am about to add a few new growers to our flock, including a Lavender Araucana. I know these are notoriously difficult to sex at a young age, but any tips would be most welcome! The breeder is going to let me take two and pay for one, in the hope that at least one will be a pullet, and she will take back any that are cockerels to make up trios. I'm hoping to maximise my chances at picking at least one pullet

The younger ones (in with some other breeds) are approx. 8-10 weeks, and the older one in the last three photos is 10-15 weeks. Sorry for the poor pictures, some are video stills!

Give me your best guesses!

Are you located in the US? If you are not the US Aracuanas have a different SOP here and some may get confused as to what to look for. The ones in the photos seam to be crested is why I'm asking.

 

[sarahg2]

Best bet is to go with older, larger birds with flat, narrow combs that are pale, with no red or pink showing. Pea combs can be tricky, and the fact that these are (or should be) bearded means that you won't be able to use wattles as an indicator.

Another important point is to choose birds that look healthy and that are active. Sluggish birds or birds with puffed out feather that look cold should be avoided.

If you see none that has all of these qualities, don't buy.

These are the only ones the breeder has now until Spring. She usually doesn't let them go until they are old enough to be sure, but she is allowing me to take them earlier so they don't have to be integrated separately from the other new young hens I am buying from her.

The oldest one she has is the one in the last three photos. Not sure if there are any indications of gender there though!

 

[sarahg2]

Are you located in the US? If you are not the US Aracuanas have a different SOP here and some may get confused as to what to look for. The ones in the photos seam to be crested is why I'm asking.

Good point - I'm in the UK. I think maybe NZ and Australia have the same type of Araucanas as we do here.

 

[NagemTX]

Good point - I'm in the UK. I think maybe NZ and Australia have the same type of Araucanas as we do here.

They do have the same type!

I love their look and I'm working on creating something like them here in the US.

 

[AusHen]

Honestly I'm only seeing two that could pass as Araucana, the two crested so I would go with them. the older bird looks to be a pullet but the other 50/50

 

[sarahg2]

Honestly I'm only seeing two that could pass as Araucana, the two crested so I would go with them. the older bird looks to be a pullet but the other 50/50

In the first four photos there are more than one breed (I know there's a silver dorking in there, and poss. others). The biggest in those photos, and the tiniest one are both definitely Lavender Araucanas. I think the middle sized lavender one might be too, and possibly the most pale one. It could just be that their crests haven't come through fully yet. Fingers crossed for the older bird. I will go with that one, and one of the younger ones, but who knows which yet!

The biggest in the first four pictures (the one with the crest) seems very 'upright' to me, which made me think possible cockerel. When I got my silkies you could tell the gender of my boy from him being a tiny chick, as he used to strut around making himself as tall as possible

 

[AusHen]

the tiny one with the arrow would be my pick out of the smaller ones, the one I put a blue x on has the wrong comb and is a cockerel

 

[sarahg2]

So I have more photos... Labelled the birds 1 and 2. Any more guesses? Bird 1 is supposedly 12 weeks, bird 2 is 10 weeks.