8 week old SLW - gender help

[PollyRowan]

Hi all,
I’m new to the group… I have three SLW that I brought as 3 week old for company for a lone hatchling I had to raise indoors. I’m just wondering if it’s too early to sex them? The leg bar hybrid they are in with I’m 100% sure is male, and I have a Brahma cross rooster already and only 7 hens in my coop so if I’ve too many boys in here I may need to look at running a bachelor flock or getting some more hens…

 

[Tonyroo]

Takes 3 months + to be sure since Wyandottes mature slow. At this age the rosecomb should stay small and stay the same color as they get older. That would be an indication it will be pullets. If one of them starts looking red from now to then it will be a cockerel.

 

[Yard Farmer]

Hi all,
I’m new to the group… I have three SLW that I brought as 3 week old for company for a lone hatchling I had to raise indoors. I’m just wondering if it’s too early to sex them? The leg bar hybrid they are in with I’m 100% sure is male, and I have a Brahma cross rooster already and only 7 hens in my coop so if I’ve too many boys in here I may need to look at running a bachelor flock or getting some more hens… View attachment 3317691View attachment 3317692

The one in the 2nd picture on the far left I think it's a cockerel.

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

This one appears to be a cockerel so far and the others pullets

 

[3KillerBs]

Wyandottes are notoriously deceptive because the girls often pink up early.

You may have to wait for some time between 12-20 weeks for the sex-specific color patterns and the sex-specific saddle feathers to show up.

 

[PollyRowan]

Takes 3 months + to be sure since Wyandottes mature slow. At this age the rosecomb should stay small and stay the same color as they get older. That would be an indication it will be pullets. If one of them starts looking red from now to then it will be a cockerel.

Thanks for your reply! Would you wait to introduce them to the rest of the flock until I’m 100% sure on sex or would it be best to introduce them now? They are ready to go outside now (we’re in the uk and we’re currently under bird flu flock down anyway so our others are housed in a large polytunnel) I was going to put them in but in a separate coop with wire run to get used to each other for a week or two but now I’m wondering if I should wait until I know the sex. I already have one boy in with them, he’s a leg bar hybrid so much easier to tell! My Brahma cockerel so far has been really placid but not sure how that will change if I throw a load more males out there with him. We didn’t plan to have any more but one of our sneaky hens hatched two and then failed to keep them warm and we found them hyperthermic in the run, manage to save one and then couldn’t raise him alone in the brooder so brought the SLW chicks as company and now I have to work out how to introduce them and house them appropriately and we want to keep them all, boys included, if possible!