Sexing Wheaten Marans Chicks

[Joeschooks]

I have hatched two Wheaten Marans chicks and they are now 15 days old. I'm not sure if it's possible to wing sex these but chick 1 showed female feathering (short, long, short, long etc) at one day of age and has a lighter down colour. Chick number 2's wing feathers were all the same length, and has a slightly darker yellow down. Chick 1's primary wing feathers are now significantly longer than chick 2's and both have comb development. They like to fight with each other - nothing that worries me, they're just establishing who's boss but neither fight with their 7 Lavender Araucana hatch buddies! I'm almost certain that chick 2 is a boy but in all honestly I'm worried they could both be roos! Their breast and shoulder feathers should hopefully come in soon and then I'll be a more certain but in the meantime what do you all think?

Above: Chick 1 in the foreground and Chick 2 on (what used to be) a chunk of turf

Above: Chick 1

Above: Chick 1

Above: Chick 2

Above: Chick 2
@Illia and @WestKnollAmy made some helpful comments on another WM sexing thread, perhaps they can help?

 

[The Moonshiner]

I can tell you feather sexing isn't going to work on them.
There's no breeds of chickens that can be wing feather sexed.
It can't be bred into a line and it can't breed true for sexing purposes.
It is a sex link trait and works like other sex links. You cross two breeds to make a hybrid that can then be feather sexed.
You have to cross a fast feathering breed rooster to a slow feathering breed hen. In the offspring cockerel chicks will be slow feathering while pullets will be fast feathering.

 

[Gray Farms]

With the Wheaten pattern you can sex them fairly early by feather color. But I think you need to wait a little longer. Another week maybe. They kinda look like the female pattern to me but that one especially has a lot of comb already.

 

[Joeschooks]

With the Wheaten pattern you can sex them fairly early by feather color. But I think you need to wait a little longer. Another week maybe. They kinda look like the female pattern to me but that one especially has a lot of comb already.

Thank you. Yes, I hope to be able to tell pretty soon. They feather so slowly compared to my Araucana who have tails and full wings already. Oh the suspense!!

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

Feather sexing won't work. You will need to wait until six weeks, then look for red combs, that indicates rooster.

 

[drumstick diva]

agree with Gray Farms

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

As noted, wing sexing is not applicable. Wheaten is a pattern easy to discern gender pretty early, though, as makes and females feather in very differently. Youll know once chest feathering starts

 

[ReallyACL]

Maybe it's just my line, but the females are pale yellow almost white and the males are buttery orange and darker. I can tell as soon as they fluff up after hatch and it's never been any other way with these birds. As soon as they begin to feather out the boys have black everywhere, the girls and mostly red.

 

[Cluck2013]

If you don't mind, what did they turn out to be? I have a dark colored one like those pictures above and one that is a light tan color. They're almost 3 weeks now.

 

[Joeschooks]

They were both boys, sadly! But in a happier note I managed to rehome those two with a local rooster rescue and they are living nice lives now. Let’s hope your lighter one is a female