Rooster or hen

[jmhines73]

I’ve had backyard chickens before but not for a few years due to a move. When a friend offered me eggs to hatch I thought that would be something fun during this stay at home time. Since I have purchased pullets in the past, I never had to determine the sex. I hatched seven eggs and three I am confident are roosters but I have a question about this one. I was hoping she is a she since I can have four hens in town Any advice would be appreciated. They are nine weeks old and “she” is a silver laced Wyandotte, I was told. She is possibly a mix though. Thanks for any input you can give.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

I’ve had backyard chickens before but not for a few years due to a move. When a friend offered me eggs to hatch I thought that would be something fun during this stay at home time. Since I have purchased pullets in the past, I never had to determine the sex. I hatched seven eggs and three I am confident are roosters but I have a question about this one. I was hoping she is a she since I can have four hens in town Any advice would be appreciated. They are nine weeks old and “she” is a silver laced Wyandotte, I was told. She is possibly a mix though. Thanks for any input you can give.

Silver laced Wyandotte MIX. Boy.

 

[jmhines73]

Thanks for your reply. I was afraid that was the case but this one’s comb is narrower than the other 3 I know are boys, so I hoped he was a she.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Thanks for your reply. I was afraid that was the case but this one’s comb is narrower than the other 3 I know are boys, so I hoped he was a she.

What do you mean, narrower?

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Silver laced Wyandotte MIX. Boy.

ETA: either super low quality or mix.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

They are nine weeks old and “she” is a silver laced Wyandotte, I was told. She is possibly a mix though.

Hi there, welcome to BYC!

I 100% agree with the first poster who said SLW CROSS cockerel.. NO questions asked if stated age of 9 weeks is correct.. and I don't care about individual differences.. even twins with the same genetics display differences.. full sibling inherit a MIX of the parents genes.. This BOY has a straight comb which would be ROSE if he was full SLW. His sisters are displaying muffs and more like pea combs.. it's like comparing apples to oranges and not really relevant since they aren't PURE and can get any combination of traits from their parents. Also the wide white barring on the shoulders is very typical of male pattern.. you can hold out hope if you want.. or you can accept it and move forward.. too much experience here to deny the one in questions gender and try and hold out with you. Maybe his comb appears narrower than your other cockerels because it has more straight inheritance than the pea or comb the other boys MIGHT have?? The size and color of both the wattles and comb development are EXTREMELY telling.

Saddle feathers start coming in around 12 weeks on most breeds..

Best wishes re-homing or sending to freezer camp (or whatever plan you made for boys before deciding to hatch)!

Adding your general location to your profile can help folks make their best suggestions possible at glance for things like re-homing, etc.

They are lovely birds btw!

 

[jmhines73]

What do you mean, narrower?

The bird I was originally asking about had a more upright thin comb and the others had a wider, closer to the head comb. (example of what I was calling wider comb attached) Is that called a pea comb? The roos have all been rehomed to the farm of the guy who gave me the eggs to hatch. Thank you for your input.

 

[jmhines73]

Hi there, welcome to BYC!

I 100% agree with the first poster who said SLW CROSS cockerel.. NO questions asked if stated age of 9 weeks is correct.. and I don't care about individual differences.. even twins with the same genetics display differences.. full sibling inherit a MIX of the parents genes.. This BOY has a straight comb which would be ROSE if he was full SLW. His sisters are displaying muffs and more like pea combs.. it's like comparing apples to oranges and not really relevant since they aren't PURE and can get any combination of traits from their parents. Also the wide white barring on the shoulders is very typical of male pattern.. you can hold out hope if you want.. or you can accept it and move forward.. too much experience here to deny the one in questions gender and try and hold out with you. Maybe his comb appears narrower than your other cockerels because it has more straight inheritance than the pea or comb the other boys MIGHT have?? The size and color of both the wattles and comb development are EXTREMELY telling.

Saddle feathers start coming in around 12 weeks on most breeds..
View attachment 2225088

Best wishes re-homing or sending to freezer camp (or whatever plan you made for boys before deciding to hatch)!

Adding your general location to your profile can help folks make their best suggestions possible at glance for things like re-homing, etc.

They are lovely birds btw!

 

[jmhines73]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge, it’s very helpful. Based on the input here I have rehomed all four roos to the farm. The coop is a much quieter place now without the four boys. Can’t wait for the first eggs! Thank you again.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

This bird had a more upright thin comb and the others had a wider, closer to the head comb. Is that called a pea comb? The roos have all been rehomed to the farm of the guy who gave me the eggs to hatch. Thank you for your input.

Wyandottes have what is called a ROSE comb. Like you stated, it is wide and flat with small bumps. It is the correct comb type for the breed.

A PEA comb is different. It is small, quite a lot smaller than the rose. It is the comb type that you see on most EEs.

A SINGLE comb is what the first bird pictured had. But, just because it was thinner and upright, didn’t mean it was female. The size and redness matter, not the type of comb.