Sexing Redpolls

[cantona 310]

I bought a pair of common redpoll at a bird show which were supposed to be cock and hen, I have given them seed , chickweed and egg colour food, they both still look the same sex I no they are juveniles but wouldn't the cock bird have more colouring by now or not?

[fireman 10,774]

If there this years young then the cock won't show his red breast feathers until next year,they only come through on the second moult.You can pluck a few AND I MEAN A FEW feathers out of their chests then colour feed them and in a few weeks the new ones that grow back will be tinged red,they are not red like a robin is but tinged and here's a pic of a silver cock with his red chest

If there last years then the cock should have moulted through red tinged by now,look on the ring for the year and that should tell you how old they are.

[cantona 310]

Thanks for reply, they are this years, so there is no other way of sexing them just wait and see if 1or both start singing spring time?

[fireman 10,774]

Redpolls don't really have a song as such,they make a funny sort of trilling noise and the only way i can tell myself is through the red chest,plucking them does sound a bit harsh but it isn't as bad as it sounds and like i say you only need to pull a few (half dozen is well enough )and they soon grow back without harming the bird.It's when you leave them looking oven ready you've gone to far with the plucking .The red will come through without colour feeding but is a lot less red and it's just easier to spot when using it,chances are though if there both young and unsexed as such they are related and even out the same parents maybe so be sure they are a pair and not just two birds that were sold together.

[moss 70]

As fireman says pluck and colour feed you only need a small patch out only sure way of seeing if you wait till the breeding season then realise you have two cocks hens will be hard to find.

You can use the red eggfood to do the job instead of buying carophly

[les cass 0]

Hi could you tell me how to identify a cock artic red poll .. its a 2023 bird .. thank you

[Bangersanmash 2,376]

On 23/09/2013 at 21:52, fireman said:

If there this years young then the cock won't show his red breast feathers until next year,they only come through on the second moult.You can pluck a few AND I MEAN A FEW feathers out of their chests then colour feed them and in a few weeks the new ones that grow back will be tinged red,they are not red like a robin is but tinged and here's a pic of a silver cock with his red chest

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb240/nelehstephens/P6281500.jpg

If there last years then the cock should have moulted through red tinged by now,look on the ring for the year and that should tell you how old they are.

Couldn't of told it better. And a like a few not the full breast plate. Like you get some doing. Seen one time ago on one of the fb pages and he'd proper gone to town on bird. Image of the feathers coming back through. He'd taken the poor birds full front. Lol 

[MrsChamp606 552]

Pluck some feathers and send them off for dna sexing

avigenics online

[Bangersanmash 2,376]

7 hours ago, MrsChamp606 said:

Pluck some feathers and send them off for dna sexing

avigenics online

You don't need to with redpolls only the cock birds chest come out red. It's simple to do gentle pluck a couple from the breast plate.