Is my Silver Laced Wyandotte a Hen or a Roo?

[CalBickieMomma]

Hello all! I have this week's pics for Agatha and Maisie (11 weeks old). I know some people were saying Maisie might also be a cockerel as well, but I'm not seeing much comb development (I think people were going off the wing coloring). Anyway, here's what I've learned about SLWs so far (what I've learned here reading through threads and such) and why I'm still on the fence about whether or not Agatha is a boy or a girl (feel free to ring in if you have more information!):
1.) Some of you have stated that the white patches on the wing shoulders point to roos, but I've also read somewhere that cockerels don't have lacing in their tail feathers (it looks like Maisie and Agatha both have the white shoulders and the tail lacing (from the week 10 images) - though I don't have a trained eye).
2.) These chicks were purchased at Farm Supply (a feed and farm supply store local to my area), so the genes might not be perfect, meaning maybe the patterning can't be relied upon ...?
3.) I haven't noticed much change in her/his comb and wattle development lately - they look pretty much the way they did at week 8. Have pullets been known to develop wattles early?
Thanks for all the feedback!

 

[ChickNanny13]

Maisie = pullet
Agatha needs a new name = cockerel

Age and their combs/wattles color is what I go by, although think I'm seeing some saddle feathering starting on "Agatha".

 

[CalBickieMomma]

Maisie = pullet
Agatha needs a new name = cockerel

Age and their combs/wattles color is what I'm seeing. Male feathering (saddle/hackle) comes about in a few more weeks.[/Q

Thanks! I guess I’d better get used to calling him Abner, then . Hope he can live peacefully with Gerard (another cockerel that came with all the hens I got in June ). I’ve known since week 3 Gerard was not Gertrude (sometimes a little roo’s behavior can’t be doubted ). Lately, Gerard’s been acting more like a rooster - bossing everyone around or at least trying to. My older Barred Rock hen will have none of it, so he’s received a few good pecks from her , but no crowing yet!

Abner’s been pretty calm and docile, though. Both he and Maisie don’t like to be handled, but Abner is much more willing to come sit in my lap and let me pet/hold him. If not, I’ve got some smaller compartments (4’ x8’) in the coop/run where he can live.

 

[CalBickieMomma]

Update on Agatha/Abner!

So I’m now 85%+ that Agatha is really Abner. The other day my Buff Orpington cockerel, Gerard, was pecking at him more than the others (just light pecks on the neck) and this morning while I was out there he was being a bit more assertive (pecking Abner more forcefully on the back whenever he was nearby, or when Gerard would walk over to where Abner was taking a dust bath). Abner didn’t fight back but yelled and ran out of the way, so I’m hoping it won’t escalate and the two can find a balance and live peacefully together. Abner’s really mellow and I’ve never seen him go after anybody.

So it looks like Gerard is working on establishing himself as future roo in charge . He also stepped in to block my Guinea fowl (who was getting feisty - running around a bit and pecking at a few of the pullets who were in the way). Gerard did the chest bump with the young Guinea and slowed him/her down a bit.

Then later that morning when I spied on them through my screen door, Gerard walked up to the Guinea holding his head up high the way roosters do to show they are in charge and the Guinea kept his/her head down (not all the way to the ground, but the Guinea didn’t challenge Gerard).

Hopefully this means my Guinea will calm down eventually and accept Gerard as boss. If not, I’ve been asking around in case I have to re-home my Guinea hit). Hopefully it won’t come to that, though.

 

[ColtHandorf]

I really want to say that's a pair, but "Agatha/Abner's" legs are sooo thin. Of course that's not a definite way of sexing, but generally cockerels have thicker legs.

 

[CalBickieMomma]

I really want to say that's a pair, but "Agatha/Abner's" legs are sooo thin. Of course that's not a definite way of sexing, but generally cockerels have thicker legs.

That’s why I kept holding off - both their legs are skinny and I’ve read that is a very accurate way to sex young chickens. And that’s why I’m not at 100% believing Agatha is an Abner. They are only 12 weeks old, though, so I have a few more months yet to know for sure. I’ll keep my eyes peeled for those saddle feathers and listen for garbled crowing (then spy on them to see who it is ).

 

[ColtHandorf]

If Agatha gets really pronounced white patches, like solid she's definitely a he. I'm just not seeing enough signs for me to definitely flag it is as a cockerel.

Here's an example of a pair I had fifteen plus years ago. You can clearly see the white in the shoulder/wing that the female doesn't have. These were hatchery quality of course. Incidentally your for sure pullet isn't laced on her breast. It's really more of a spangled look.

 

[CalBickieMomma]

If Agatha gets really pronounced white patches, like solid she's definitely a he. I'm just not seeing enough signs for me to definitely flag it is as a cockerel.

Here's an example of a pair I had fifteen plus years ago. You can clearly see the white in the shoulder/wing that the female doesn't have. These were hatchery quality of course. Incidentally your for sure pullet isn't laced on her breast. It's really more of a spangled look.

View attachment 1892196

Thanks! There was debate earlier that both were cockerels because of the white shoulders, but then I also read somewhere that cockerels don’t have lacing in their tail feathers (and both mine appear to have tail feather lacing). Also, mine came from a local farm supply store, so I’m thinking they are probably not the show quality, perfect genes type chickens (which is fine with me), so it’s possible the usual tells aren’t accurate.

I haven’t seen any obvious development in the comb and wattles since last week, so who knows! I plan to take their 12 week portraits (yes, I’m one of THOSE chicken people ) this Saturday. I’ll have to share them here when I do. Thanks again and your SLWs are gorgeous, by the way .

 

[ColtHandorf]

Thanks. Matt Dylan and Miss Kitty were a fun breed I added in. I'm sure they are long dead and gone. When I was gone for a high school trip someone stole every Silver-laced Wyandotte I had; the trio of breeding birds, seven or eight started birds, half a dozen chicks, and all the eggs the hens would have laid while I was gone for the weekend. It was very strange.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

They both look like pullets to me.