Attention Wyandotte Eggsperts!

[southernbound13]

Hey! Questions for people who routinely raise wyandottes, is there any fairly reliable way to sex them (other than vent sexing) at hatch? Does feather sexing work for them? Do boys tend to have different markings? I ask because a breeder is willing to sell us two wyandottes to give our broody and is willing to take them back if they end up being roos but I really like them and would like to get pullets to keep if possible. Tips? Tricks?

 

[sylviethecochin]

Wyandottes are slow-feathering, so if you find one with abnormally short feathers, he's likely to be male, and vis a vis.

This may not be true of all Wyandottes, especially if the original breeding stock was sourced from a hatchery.

 

[southernbound13]

Wyandottes are slow-feathering, so if you find one with abnormally short feathers, he's likely to be male, and vis a vis.

This may not be true of all Wyandottes, especially if the original breeding stock was sourced from a hatchery.

That is exactly what I was wondering. Excellent thank you! I'm fairly accurate at guessing most of the breeds I'm familiar with but wyandottes are a new beast for me. I'm so excited! We were done with chicks this year but this broody just will not break so we'll let her raise some pretties for us.

 

[Hyper_Chicken05]

I am definitely not an expert lol, But I raised a batch of glw’s and when they grew their feathers the boys were darker I think.

 

[Ladybird CA]

That is exactly what I was wondering. Excellent thank you! I'm fairly accurate at guessing most of the breeds I'm familiar with but wyandottes are a new beast for me. I'm so excited! We were done with chicks this year but this broody just will not break so we'll let her raise some pretties for us.

What colour are you getting?

 

[Alexandra33]

Feather length method only applies to specific hybrids, not pure heritage breeds (to my knowledge). I'm also pretty sure there aren't any auto-sexing varieties within the Wyandotte breed. Which color are they?

~Alex

 

[sylviethecochin]

Feather length method only applies to specific hybrids, not pure heritage breeds (to my knowledge). I'm also pretty sure there aren't any auto-sexing varieties within the Wyandotte breed. Which color are they?

~Alex

Feather length is specifically sexlinked by fast-feathering rooster over slow-feathering hen. Such will result in slow-feathering cockerels and fast-feathering pullets, because the fast-feathering (wildtype) is recessive to slow-feathering.

However, because the gene is sexlinked, cockerels receive two copies and pullets receive one. Because cockerels are double-factor, the gene will express better--thus, cockerels of a fast-feathering breed are likely to feather faster than females of the same breed. Wyandottes are slow-feathering, and because cockerels have two copies of the slow feathering gene, they are likely to feather out more slowly than the females are.

This only works if the variety is true to type. Thus, it often will not work with birds sourced from a hatchery, or whose parent stock was sourced from a hatchery and not selectively bred. It does work with purebreed Leghorns (fast) OEGBs (fast) and with Plymouth Barred Rocks (slow.)

(Not my image)

See how the cockerel has a very short tail, and the pullet has a longer tail?

 

[Alexandra33]

Feather length is specifically sexlinked by fast-feathering rooster over slow-feathering hen. Such will result in slow-feathering cockerels and fast-feathering pullets, because the fast-feathering (wildtype) is recessive to slow-feathering.

However, because the gene is sexlinked, cockerels receive two copies and pullets receive one. Because cockerels are double-factor, the gene will express better--thus, cockerels of a fast-feathering breed are likely to feather faster than females of the same breed. Wyandottes are slow-feathering, and because cockerels have two copies of the slow feathering gene, they are likely to feather out more slowly than the females are.

This only works if the variety is true to type. Thus, it often will not work with birds sourced from a hatchery, or whose parent stock was sourced from a hatchery and not selectively bred. It does work with purebreed Leghorns (fast) OEGBs (fast) and with Plymouth Barred Rocks (slow.)

(Not my image)

See how the cockerel has a very short tail, and the pullet has a longer tail?

Fascinating! Thank you for providing a greater understanding as to the nature of this concept (those chicks are too cute). Apparently, none of my birds have been bred selectively for said trait, since I've never noticed a difference between genders.

~Alex

 

[southernbound13]

This entire thing is so interesting!! And I'm getting gold laced and blue laced red. I'm so excited! We really didnt need more hens but we have the room and ya know, chicken math haha.