These are the Light Sussex, boy or girl? Bad picture?
Boy or Girl?
Another
I wanted to show ZZ's grass/dirt clump. It was a horrid mess, they had it flung all over the place so I cleaned it up first. I should have left it so you could see how much FUN they have with it!
When I was cleaning up Goat took her babies into the nest box. You can see two looking out. I think she is happiest when they are all under her. She is on the big side for an EE'er.
Whooo Hoooo You've got a pair there! The boy is on the left and the girl is on the right.
Goat is just the best mom ever! Love her so much!
See how the lil white winged baby's wing is a > shape? GIRL...
See how the other one only has the bottom few feathers coming out and they are not in a > shape? Boy...
Great pictures!! Perfect example.
Now watch, it will be exactly the opposite.. LOL Murphy's law you know!
I wish I could see it the way you do - I just don't get it yet! I'm going to keep looking at it. I'm very glad one is a girl, they are both so friendly already.
This pic is for you ZZ!
I guessed before I read ZZ's post and came up with the same genders. I learned on here from ZZ. I'm sure you will too.
YES, Goat is just the best mom! She's earned a crown and will be a Lifer here! She never takes a bite of food without giving some to the chicks. I just melt watching them. Charlotte is still staying in the nest box but she hatched hers so she's on a different time schedule. Thanks for letting me know which was a boy or girl. My DN was holding them in the picture and is SO proud of them LOL
Thanks PP, I knew you all would know!
I love this.. :) I'm glad you see it Porkpal, she will too after a few batches of babiez.. :)
Here is a doctored up picture. I outlined the shape of the wing feathers. Sure shows the > for the girl..
Annie, I love your new babies, and I know this is not about poultry, but I also love your new Governor. He is a personal friend of mine. Seriously...Hay
Oh I do love watching a mom with her chicks. My silkie started bringing the chicks out to free range last week. I just worry that they are eating other thing and not the starter. I always put some on the ground for them but she only bring them to it for a minute then moves on
It's amazing, isn't it Donna? Instinct is just amazing!
I'm going to take more pics today to see if I have the wing thing right. I "see" it in your drawing ZZ, but not on the chick itself. I'm trying to show some self restraint and not post 100 pics a day, everything about these hatches is soooo amazing to me! Hatching from an incubator won't be as much fun, I can't make all the noises the hens make LOL.
For bedding they're still on a thick layer of papertowels with a heavy layer of newspaper underneath. How long until they can be on shavings with newspaper underneath?
Donna, that is what makes free range chicks healthier than hand raised.. Don't worry.. Mom is teaching them exactly what to eat to thrive.
Annie, you can put them on shavings whenever you want.. just be prepared for the waterer and feed to be full of shavings constantly..
Annie, you couldn't post tooo many pictures! We love em!
Ok, please let me know if I got this right! Mamma was non too happy about me messing with her babies, sheesh, she has a temper!
Forgot to say that I "think" the wing on the bottom is a girl.......?
Above are BCM's. This pic is of the Wheaten Marans. They were born over the weekend so it might be too early to tell.
It's too hard for me to tell when the wing is spread out.. I need a side view of them standing normally.. It's the natural shape, along with any tail feathers.. In a lot of breeds, the > shaped wing, along with tail feathers points towards a pullet. The girls get bigger wings, and more tail feathers before the boys..
See, when they are held out... they have a different shape (wings) and when they are just standing normally, you can compare tails if you can't tell from the wings alone.
My uneducated guess is both boys - whaaa - there were only 3 Wheaten Marans too. Charlotte won't let me get the other chic to compair.
Here is Goat, in my face and puffed up like a turkey. She was very unhappy with me and even leaped at me. Guess I'll take pics another day!
I'll get some side views later when Goat and Charlotte forgive me. They got really hissy and pissy about their babies being photographed. I have chickie leg bands in both blue and pink to mark them LOL
Hay, yup, I like the new Gov too, he got my vote! It is so hard to choose sometimes, it's like trying to decide which one is the lesser of two evils.
John is such a decent man, I have never known him to say one thing and do another. I have a lot of respect for men, and women who keep their word once they give it...John and I did a seminar together in Wisconsin about eight years ago. That was in Rice Lake. We still talk probably twice a year, he was also a good Senator...
Annie you were talking about the amazement of instinct, well thats why Goat and other moms get so hissy about their babies...LOL...Hay