Silver Laced Wyandotte chicks - help with sexing chick

[janetnz60]

Hi all.

I have 3 SLW chicks that we bought as fertilised eggs and hatched with our broody Orpington.

I tried feather sexing them at a day old (http://animalsciences.missouri.edu/reprod/ReproTech/Feathersex/sld006.htm) and they all had long primary feathers, so I hoped, if this method could be used on SLWs, they are all pullets.

Two of the chicks are identical (like twins) and I am sure they are pullets. The other one has been different all the way through, from a week old she was much slower to grow/feather and from talking and reading I came to the conclusion she was from a pullet egg. At 5 weeks she was like a 2 week old and half the size of the other 2.

Now they are 8 weeks old and I am wondering if (s)he may be a rooster, so I am looking for opinions. My concerns are based on the slower feathering and the wattles look a bit bigger to me.



This is the chick in question today.





This is one of the twins today - pretty sure this is a pullet.

Here they are as day olds:





...and at about 5 weeks - the photo doesn't show the size difference as well as I would like - she really was half the size


Any thoughts or shall I wait and see if there is any crowing? I have had a soft spot for this chick since day one - such a happy wee things that flits about all over the place - very busy and lots to do!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I think you have three roosters there, two for sure, but I'm pretty sure three.

 

[janetnz60]

Thank you - not what I wanted to hear

. May I ask what you are basing this on?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

The color of the combs and wattles is a bit red for eight weeks, Wyandotte can be a bit trickier, but if those were pullets they should know should still be more orange. Though I'm on the fence about the one you are wondering, it is possibly a pullet. Hopefully someone else will confirm or deny.

 

[janetnz60]

Thank you - so much to learn

 

[DreamsInPink]

@janetnz60 (why doesn't that act like a ping when I do it??)

Do you mind if I join this conversation? I have 2 SLW too, that I'm curious about. Though mine are not as old.

 

[janetnz60]

Of course not - jump in!

Do you want to add some pictures to see if anyone can help?

We are sure our "twins" are pullets and if the colour of the comb and wattles being orange rather than red is an indicator, then our chick in question is a pullet too.She is very peachy/orange.

Good luck with yours - they are beautiful birds!

 

[DreamsInPink]

Thank you so much! I started another thread of my own, because I didn't want to just hijack yours. But I'll go ahead and add my pics here too... My pictures aren't that great, but hopefully they will be good enough for someone to be able to tell.

I got 2 SLW at our local co-op. Supposedly all they get are pullets. Mine are looking distinctly different from each other. Forgive the pictures, I took them with my phone and the chicks were less than cooperative.

Subject number 1 is a lot darker than the other one, with more white feathers peaking through and the tail is a lot longer.

#1

#1

Subject number 2 is more grayish brown than black at this point, and the tail is much shorter.

#2

So, what do you all think?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Subject 2 looks suspicious, thick legs, it's a bit early to tell though. Wyandotte can be trickier because the combs on the females get pink earlier than other breeds.

 

[DreamsInPink]

So, the length of the tail feathers and the coloring of the feathers isn't much of an indicator? I'm really hoping they are both pullets. And I'm really concerned with my order coming in June from MPC. I ordered just 1 of several breeds. I really don't have much luck with it comes to things left to chance. I guess I can't grump yet. Until I know for sure what I already have. Although, out of my 6 meat chickens, which were straight run, I have 4 cockerels and 2 pullets.