Are laced varieties easier to sex?

[K0k0shka]

I’m new to fancy chicken colors. I’ve been reading about feather patterns and it seems like the laced patterns show only on the hens (partridge, single laced, double laced). Logically, this would make them easier to sex when young, but... the internet does not seem to agree. People are saying they’re still hard to sex when young. Is that true? Why? Do they start out all laced, then the boys lose the pattern later on? This seems like it would be so easy, I don’t understand why it’s not. And it’s hard to find good pictures with follow up to confirm the guesses.

I have chicks from 3 laced varieties, all 1 month old, and am getting curious. I have double silver laced barnevelders, silver laced orpingtons, and a partridge orpington. All of them are showing patterns unlike those of grown roosters of their kind, though not all are as clear as the grown hens’ either. For example, 3 out of the 4 barnevelders are laced along the outside of the feather, but the 4th one looks barred instead. Is that the female vs. male difference? I’m confused. Will post pictures if that would help, but I’m also just curious about what the general explanation is.

 

[casportpony]

Maybe @Brahma Chicken5000 will know.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

On laced chickens the males will get a wing bar and the females will feather in with lacing on the wing. They can be sexed when they are mostly feathered in or fully feathered in.

 

[K0k0shka]

On laced chickens the males will get a wing bar and the females will feather in with lacing on the wing. They can be sexed when they are mostly feathered in or fully feathered in.

Thanks! Would you mind taking a look at a couple pictures of my chicks? My untrained eye can’t quite tell where the wing bar is

Here are my two silver laced orpingtons. This one I think is a boy because of the comb and wattles:

And this one I think is a girl, because her comb and wattles are much smaller, and she’s fully feathered out, compared to the other chicken which still has bare spots on its back:


I’m having a hard time seeing any differences in their feather patterns, but I don’t have any experience with this.

Do barnevelders have wing bars, too? Breed descriptions say the males don’t get double lacing anywhere, it’s genetic, but I don’t know anything about that. Here are my 4 double silver laced barnevelder chicks:

#1:


#2



#3



#4


And this is my lone partridge orpington:


Any input would be appreciated! This is an interesting subject and I want to learn more.

 

[NatJ]

Do they start out all laced, then the boys lose the pattern later on?

I've noticed that baby chicks can have quite different patterns than the adults of their breed.

Examples I have personally seen:
--Buckeyes, solid dark red as adults, but the chicks (pullets) had patterns of black with several shades of brown.
--Partridge Chantecler had horizontal black and brown bars when young, and got the concentric pencilling when she molted about 3 months old.
--Red Quill Old English Game Bantam, both sexes had patterning on the feathers when young. The male matured to look black-tailed gold, with a narrow black necklace; no patterning at all on most of his body. The female kept pretty black markings on almost every feather of her back and sides (solid-colored breast.)

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Thanks! Would you mind taking a look at a couple pictures of my chicks? My untrained eye can’t quite tell where the wing bar is

Here are my two silver laced orpingtons. This one I think is a boy because of the comb and wattles:
View attachment 2152288View attachment 2152289
And this one I think is a girl, because her comb and wattles are much smaller, and she’s fully feathered out, compared to the other chicken which still has bare spots on its back:
View attachment 2152294

I’m having a hard time seeing any differences in their feather patterns, but I don’t have any experience with this.

Do barnevelders have wing bars, too? Breed descriptions say the males don’t get double lacing anywhere, it’s genetic, but I don’t know anything about that. Here are my 4 double silver laced barnevelder chicks:

#1:
View attachment 2152319View attachment 2152320

#2
View attachment 2152317
View attachment 2152318

#3
View attachment 2152315
View attachment 2152314

#4
View attachment 2152313View attachment 2152312

And this is my lone partridge orpington:
View attachment 2152325View attachment 2152326
View attachment 2152341
Any input would be appreciated! This is an interesting subject and I want to learn more.

How old are they. I see a few cockerels based on comb reddening and wattle development.

 

[K0k0shka]

How old are they. I see a few cockerels based on comb reddening and wattle development.

They are one month old. I have some guesses based on combs and wattles, I was just also curious about the feather patterns.

 

[K0k0shka]

I've noticed that baby chicks can have quite different patterns than the adults of their breed.

Examples I have personally seen:
--Buckeyes, solid dark red as adults, but the chicks (pullets) had patterns of black with several shades of brown.
--Partridge Chantecler had horizontal black and brown bars when young, and got the concentric pencilling when she molted about 3 months old.
--Red Quill Old English Game Bantam, both sexes had patterning on the feathers when young. The male matured to look black-tailed gold, with a narrow black necklace; no patterning at all on most of his body. The female kept pretty black markings on almost every feather of her back and sides (solid-colored breast.)

Very interesting! And informative! I won’t take their little kid feathers too seriously then.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

The juvenile feathering of pullets and cockerels look the same if they’re the same breed. Also, single laced roos will retain their lacing into adulthood.

 

[K0k0shka]

The juvenile feathering of pullets and cockerels look the same if they’re the same breed. Also, single laced roos will retain their lacing into adulthood.

Thanks. What about double lacing? Do roosters ever have double lacing in adulthood, or do they lose it when they mature?