Comb sexing Wyandottes any one ?

[okiehen]

I have Blue Laced Red Wyandotte chicks, has any one been able to comb sex them, if so at what age. And what to look for.
Right now I have 5 chicks, 4 have no signs of a comb at all one is straight combed. They are 7 weeks old. I cant take pictures as of now my camera is fried. This is my first babies with rose combs.
I can comb sex other breeds that have straight combs at around this age. If you have any pictures of Wyandottes at around this age that you know are pullets or roosters can you post them.
Thanks

 

[CelticMoon1]

My SLWs are 7 weeks old as well, and are easily distinguishable. The comb will typically be redder and more of a bump on the roos, and paler and flat along the scull on the pullets. Also the wattles will be larger and redder on roos, as well as them having larger legs. You'll find pics of several of my roos here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=37587-the-choice

I haven't got any pics of my pullets at the mo..

At 4 weeks my comb sexing has been quite certain. But there will always be some that are difficult - I have one now that I am quite certain is a she but she's got a red comb that looks kind of roo-ish..

I think you'll have to compare wattles and legs when it comes to your straight combed as it's hard comparing straights to roses..

To bad you can't post pics, it would have been so much easier to help!

 

[Kirtusjon]

Go to the link below and go to the bottom of the page and these pics of BLRW's were 8 1/2 weeks old when taken.

 

[wdc1952]

By taking a closer look at the comb on their head, you should be able to determine that the wider the comb is at the base of the beak - should be a cockeral. While the narrower comb should be a pullet

 

[okiehen]

Thank you

I've looked at them pretty good and it looks like all 5 are pullets yea

The 4 are as smooth as a babies bum, the one that has a single comb has no color and no wattles.

So now I need to get some more eggs to get a rooster.

 

[RAREROO]

Don't know about comb sexing, but here are some pics of my SL wayndottes at 4 wks, the females' tail feathers are longer and more developed than the roo. At 7 wk, yours might be too old for this to work as it its easier the tell at 2-3 wks old.

Pullet

Roo

 

[wdc1952]

You said one has a single comb. Guess what ? It is not a wyandotte.

 

[RAREROO]

Yes wdc1952, it is possible to get single combed sports from wyandottes and it is said that keeping these in a breeding flock will increase fertility, but single combed birds are not showable.

 

[CelticMoon1]

Quote:

Yup, I've seen several examples - and they're purebreed. Single combs are recessive so your rose combs may carry the gene and single combs will crop up once in a while (reason for the single comb gene being there is because of the birds ued to make the breed). I've never had one in my flock though. I don't know about increased fertility - our eggs are 100% fertile in every hatching, and ours are all rose combs..

 

[Krys109uk]

Rose comb is a trait of wyandottes; technically the birds with non rose combs are not wyandottes.
Non rose combs have probably been introduced into wyandottes to counter the pleiotropic effects of 'pure' rose comb birds. Pure rose comb birds have been shown to have a lower incidence of mating, shorter sperm life & possibly other effects I cannot remember off the top of my head. However, imo, there is greater wastage from having non rose comb birds in ones flock. If one has the male & one female het. for rose comb, in the region of 25% of their offspring are going to be culls for comb alone before oe even thinks about culling for any other fault. In my experience breeding groups with fewer females do not have a problem, especially if eggs are set regularly.