Polish gender questions, please! *UPDATED with lots of pics!*

[RachelFromTheBlackLagoon]

Becky, I know you were just trying to help. Sometimes it just seems like people don't read the entire post before they respond. I wasn't expecting anyone to guess based on my description, but I wasn't able to post a picture at the time. I will post one tomorrow. I appreciate you trying to help me figure this out and your pictures are very helpful! Now, Penny is definitely not nearly as dark at your rooster. I've noticed that's a pretty standard thing with the buff laced. She actually looks very similar to your hen. How old are yours in the pics? Was the rooster always darker? If not, do you remember when he started to get darker?

 

[becky3086]

Actually, I have been trying to think whether he was always that dark and looking through my pictures to see if I have any pictures of him younger. I am sure he was light when hatched but I am not sure when he turned darker.
Looks like I don't have younger pictures of him(see I messed with the camera a few weeks ago and accidentally deleted all the pictures so if it isn't on my computer, I don't have it anymore.

). I had a hard time trying to figure out what my first buff laced were too but the last one I hatched is a month or so old and I already know it is a pullet by the way the crest is so round. The first ones that I hatched were not that easy though. I had heard on here that a more hatchet shaped crest meant male and that worked with my splash Polish but it didn't work with the buff ones, lol. Anyway, I will wait to see your picture and see what I think.

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

It usually takes less than a year for adult feathering to come in. I remember reading in a magazine once that within the first year, a chicken has 2 moults. The first is at approx. a month old when they lose their downy feathering and adopt regular feathers and there's a second one a few months later where the bird moults out the juvenile feathers and gets adult ones, which are bigger in size, and these are the feathers they will have for the year. The second moult is a slow one that is gradual and doesn't tend to happen all at once.

I'm glad that Becky reminded me, that Buffs tend to have differing coloring for different genders. Once again, it depends on lines that you have but males usually get darker feathers that you notice, and the 'pattern' of coloring is different for males and females. (Laced birds have the different patterns) I THINK, don't know for sure, but think, that males gradually get darker feathers in some areas, lose the lighter ones, and gain more dark ones to replace them, over a few months. I'm speaking from what I've seen and heard, as I've only had one Buff Laced, and only a female at that.

BTW, Becky, that rooster's coloring is stunning. If I was allowed to have more chickens..........

 

[becky3086]

Thanks, actually he has just gotten that pretty, before he was rather an ugly thing that I wasn't impressed with, lol. Just shows what time can do I guess.
Sounds about right on the feathering. I do believe the feathers turned darker slowly. I wish I had paid more attention but like I said, I wasn't real impressed with them at first.
Not to mention that so far the roo isn't interested in the hens at all

 

[RachelFromTheBlackLagoon]

Okay, I took several pictures!

Penny next to my pullet, Miss Yvonne. You can see the color difference but I think Miss Yvonne may just be much lighter than she should.

Note that Penny's legs are not thicker than Miss Yvonne's.

I can't tell if that is the beginning of a long rooster tail or if the feathers underneath just haven't filled out yet.

Penny's tail (in front) compared to Miss Yvonne's.

So what do you think???

 

[becky3086]

Oh wow. I completely understand now. I have gone back and forth between my pictures and yours trying to figure it out. Then I went out to the pens to check on some things. I thought I saw pointy hackle feathers on yours but my hens have the same thing. Went back out to look at tails, same there. The crest is a bit odd but it still curves back and does not have the points like my roo does but the thing that has me convinced the most that this may be a hen is that it doesn't have any comb, my hens out there don't have the v-comb but, as you can see in the picture, the male does. I will say this though, I think the lacing on your bird is really nice and it has a good shape as well. I think the crest will fill out more as it grows. It does look darker colored but that just may be the pictures. The other hen does appear to be very light. Anyway, those are my thoughts on your "hen" (I think).

 

[RachelFromTheBlackLagoon]

Hahaha see?! S/he's a total mystery! But thank you for that input, I really hope you're right! With my other two Polish and my Sultan it is pretty obvious but with Penny I go back and forth everyday. I have not noticed her getting darker over time. She's been much darker than Miss Yvonne since she lost her fuzz and grew her feathers. Miss Yvonne was actually white and cream colored when I got her at around 6 weeks. She didn't develop her lacing for quite some time afterwards and is just a very light bird, I guess. It seems like I would have some sort of more obvious sign by now if Penny were a roo. I mean I know there are late bloomers, but it seems like generally people are pretty certain one way or another by somewhere around 13 weeks, doesn't it? I'm not sure it matters, anyway. I'm not supposed to have roosters here, but I can not see myself giving up this baby. S/he is so sweet, goofy and friendly and follows me around the yard. I adore Penny!

 

[becky3086]

I would imagine if it was a roo, you would be seeing some more definite signs of it by now and I guess, if she has always been that color we can rule out her color. I love my first buff laced hen. She at first was in a pen a bunch of other birds. Whenever I would step in the pen, the rest of the birds all ran to the back but she would walk right up to me, all curious, trying to figures out what I was, lol.

 

[RachelFromTheBlackLagoon]

Awww haha. I love Polish. They are such goofy characters. I don't think I will ever be without a Polish, even though it's a pain in the butt waiting to figure out what sex they are!

 

[Elite Silkies]

I am going to say pullet, due to the lack of points on her crest feathers.