10-week-old Sebrights: Why is this so difficult?

[shanadienne]

Maybe the hens are also trying to make up for the roosters's hen-feathering, lol. Do you know how old she was when she started?

 

[grannygear77]

Sure looks like a pulley to me. My cockerel had a different looking comb by 5 wks. Also when I bought my silvers I thought I had 1 roo and 4 pullets (4 wks). Well, it didn't take long (about 1 more week) until 3 of the the 4 "pullets" were noticeably cockerels. I was extremely lucky, bc the guy I bought them from was nice enough to let me swap them out for true pullets.
My point is, in my limited experience if your Goldie was a cockerel he would have a larger, redder comb and more pronounced wattles by now.
That's my 2 cents.

 

[shanadienne]

Thanks for the input.

They're 14 weeks old now and I'm 99% sure my two little golden sebrights are indeed pullets. It's just that one of them crows when I separate her from her friends.

 

[JTRZWestminster]

All pullet/cockerel discussions aside, let me just say I have an adult Sebright rooster, and he is the sweetest chicken I have out of 12. Extremely gentle, very proud, lets my kids hold him, never attacks my kids (unlike my phoenix rooster who is a bit of a jerk). If you have roosters you're in for a treat.

 

[shanadienne]

Hmm, different experience from me. I actually had 5 sebright roosters a few years ago and I like to describe them as anklebiters. Turn your back, they attack. Turn towards them, they back off as if they're perfectly innocent cute little chickens. I swore never to own a Sebright again, but I made the mistake of not knowing what a golden sebright chick looks like. Best chicken-related mistake I've ever made, it seems.

 

[tastybabies]

Those are girls, even in the video, the chirp sounds just like my baby girl did. The boys get super duper bright red combs, and they grow out like real combs just not that big, but noticeable. It's hard with the girls because it always seems to look like one is trying to develop. You've just got a sassy girl on your hands.

 

[ysglass]

I have a 7 week old sebright, It has some comb development, but no wattles. It crowed EXACTLY like this two weeks ago. I heard it and thought my dog had a squeaky toy, until I realized where it was coming from. I was shocked! Bought it as "pullet" but I know how easy it is to be mistaken in that department. I hope yours really is a pullet, gives me some hope of being able to keep this beauty in my banty coop!

 

[tastybabies]

Post a picture of it

 

[shanadienne]

ysglass, my Sebrights are just over six months old now. I took this picture 6 days ago:



Those are pullets! Neither of them are laying eggs yet but apparently Sebrights are slow to mature and the days are only getting shorter and colder so I'll be patient.
Sam (on the right) hasn't crowed in ages but she hasn't been isolated from the flock in ages either and that's why she did it--though she does tend to whine if separated from Dean (left).
By the way, Dean never crowed but she's pretty spunky too. Every morning when my huge rooster 4 times her size starts displaying interest in Dean, she doesn't run; she raises her hackle. The rooster still gets a little confused, lol.

Moral of the story: the behavior of young Sebrights is utterly meaningless in the quest to ascertain gender.

 

[ysglass]

Here's the baby. Got him/her as a pullet at 3 or 4 weeks old, that was nearly a month ago. All the babies from that hatch had distinctive black or read combs. This one didn't develop the red until two weeks later, still only a hint of wattles. Way more comb/red than I expect for a girl, but less comb and wattles than I would expect for a roo. Did the girl squeaky toy like crow, one time two weeks ago. Not since. Fingers crossed for a girl or passive roo, already have a roo in that coop. Pictured here with the little serama pullet I got the same day.