Help sexing a 5 week Silver Penciled Rock

[elisavet68]

Does anyone on this thread have Silver Penciled rocks and know what distinctive feather patterns or ways to sex a 5 week old? Starting to look to me like a cockerel being so upright:

 

[TheCrazyChick]

I'll be lurking for an answer too. I have three six week olds.

 

[sammyf123]

I have read somewhere that lighter feathering for roos and darker for pullets

 

[TheCrazyChick]

I have read somewhere that lighter feathering for roos and darker for pullets

I was told by a breeder that roos will have more black on their breasts while pullets will have penciling. I have three right now that I am unsure of. If I go by the penciling then I have at least 2 pullets. The third one is a crapshoot, as she is the runt who barely survived hatch, so while she is really healthy, she is feathering in splotchy.

 

[elisavet68]

I was told by a breeder that roos will have more black on their breasts while pullets will have penciling. I have three right now that I am unsure of. If I go by the penciling then I have at least 2 pullets. The third one is a crapshoot, as she is the runt who barely survived hatch, so while she is really healthy, she is feathering in splotchy.

That's interesting. Mine has dark feathers on breast, and is standing suspiciously as a roo. It's now 6 weeks old, how old are yours? and what's the earliest age you think you can definitively sex them?

 

[TheCrazyChick]

I have read somewhere that lighter feathering for roos and darker for pullets

That's for sure true with barred rocks.

 

[TheCrazyChick]

That's interesting.  Mine has dark feathers on breast, and is standing suspiciously as a roo.  It's now 6 weeks old, how old are yours?  and what's the earliest age you think you can definitively sex them?

My pencils hatched April 15, so they are about 7 weeks I guess. I have no idea about when you can tell for sure.

 

[BBK]

Does it have anything to do with tail feathers? My silver baby's tail is sticking up... But my partridge baby's tail looks like the one in your picture... Laying down.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Silver penciled male and female have very different color patterns. Here's a hen:


Here's a young cockerel: