This is my first time having chicks; we have 4 and one of them is taking it's good ole' time feathering up! From what I have read, this may be a sign of a rooster? That makes me so sad, because we cannot keep roosters with our neighbors so close to us.... Thoughts? Here is a photo of two of my Silver Laced Wyandottes last week (they would've been 3 weeks old, hatched on the same day. The one to the right is the one I am concerned about.
You will be able to tell in a few more days as the feathers come in a little more. With SLWs, the males are easy to discern from the females as they are much darker feathered with more contrast between white and black feathers. The pullets appear more grayish overall. Also, the males' combs turn reddish quite early, where the females have very pale combs.
