Two Week Update: Cochin Babies

Here's the two week update on my cochin babies. They're doing really well and so beautiful!

The sweet little roo. He's still super fuzzy, but he's getting there!

His wing shape is still clearly different than the other three.

The mix. She's gorgeous and shows all of the signs of being female, except that she has a large comb. Interesting.

Those beautiful feathers on her legs.

Stevie is still getting big!

Look at those pin feathers coming in.

I can't quite figure out this one's parentage. She's gorgeous though.

I love it when she closes her eyes and rests in my hand.

Here they were when I cam home today - 15 days old. They love the roost and have out-grossed the towel in the brooder.

And here they are with straw bedding for the first time. They were concerned at first, but I set them on it and they are picking at it like mad now. It seems to be a hit.

Adorable Babies Going After Mealworms

The chicks are 13 days old today! They're growing so fast and have discovered a love for mealworms. Here's a cute little video of them going for it.

The audio comes on after about 20 seconds. I forgot to set it first!!
 

5 Day Update - Sexing the Chicks UPDATED

UPDATED AT DAY 8: I have added a few pictures showing the difference in feather shape that has become very apparent at this point. See Below

I have found, in my vast (not really) experience, that sexing chicks is best done early by observing feather growth. I don't vent sex and I'm not super interested in learning. I found this method in this wonderful drawing posted by Lianne at Hanbury House and I've found it to be incredibly accurate for almost any breed of chick. 

I also found this post from 2010 from Cindi on the  Beemaster forum, with pictures, showing sexing by feather growth and it was incredibly helpful. I printed the drawing and the pictures and put them up on the wall over the brooder for comparison.

So, at five days old, I took the below pictures of my new cochin chicks and made an educated guess. Let me know if you disagree and why! I love learning from other chicken folks.

I believe this is a hen. The wings are longer and the growth was rapid and there is a little poof on her bum.

Day 8 - You can see by the shape of the feathers that this is a hen.

I'm calling this one a roo. He's still almost completely fuzz at 5 days, with tiny wing growth. The feathers are also more of L shaped growth.

Day 8 - There is clearly a different shape than the hen's feathers. This is the L shape.

Close-up of the roo.

This is Stevie - the only one we're keeping - She clearly had rapid growth on wings as well as the poof on the bum. This picture was actually taken yesterday and today (Day 6) she's starting to show pin feathers.

This is the only one I go a little back and forth on, but I'm calling her a hen. The wings have grown fast and they have the same shape as the other two ladies. And she has the bum poof. She's just so light, it's kind of hard to tell the down from the feathers.

And there we have it. My first hatch ever and I got three girls and one boy. How can I make this happen every time?