The one that remained small will for so long, (I would bet money on it), will prove to be a Roo !!! Just my guess. It happened to me too. I was told to cull as it was a "fail to thrive" but I didn't and one day all of a sudden, HE grew and grew and became an enormous rooster. Would love to have an update in a couple months !!!Hi all.
I have 3 SLW chicks that we bought as fertilised eggs and hatched with our broody Orpington.
I tried feather sexing them at a day old (http://animalsciences.missouri.edu/reprod/ReproTech/Feathersex/sld006.htm) and they all had long primary feathers, so I hoped, if this method could be used on SLWs, they are all pullets.
Two of the chicks are identical (like twins) and I am sure they are pullets. The other one has been different all the way through, from a week old she was much slower to grow/feather and from talking and reading I came to the conclusion she was from a pullet egg. At 5 weeks she was like a 2 week old and half the size of the other 2.
Now they are 8 weeks old and I am wondering if (s)he may be a rooster, so I am looking for opinions. My concerns are based on the slower feathering and the wattles look a bit bigger to me.
This is the chick in question today.
This is one of the twins today - pretty sure this is a pullet.
Here they are as day olds:
...and at about 5 weeks - the photo doesn't show the size difference as well as I would like - she really was half the size
Any thoughts or shall I wait and see if there is any crowing? I have had a soft spot for this chick since day one - such a happy wee things that flits about all over the place - very busy and lots to do!!