SLW and Brahma - can you identify the gender?

[Mare van der Mescht]

Hi everyone,
I am new to these two breeds. Can someone please confirm the gender of these two for me? I suspect they are both boys. The SLW is Pixel and I think he is about 18 weeks old. The Brahma is Lincoln and I am not sure of his age, perhaps 12 or 14 weeks. I think Lincoln could be a pullet, but there are 2 suspicious looking feathers amongst his tail feathers. It almost looks like it could be sickle feathers, but I am not sure. Sorry about the bad pics, Lincoln just would not stand still for long enough to get a decent pic of his back. Thanks

 

[3KillerBs]

The SLW has the female color pattern.

Can you get a photo of the Brahma's saddle area with your hand or a piece of colored paper slipped under the feathers so we can see the shape? That's a good trick for white birds, black birds, and birds with deceptive color patterns.

If you can't catch them in the daylight, take them off the roost after dark and use the camera flash.

 

[Mare van der Mescht]

The SLW has the female color pattern.

Can you get a photo of the Brahma's saddle area with your hand or a piece of colored paper slipped under the feathers so we can see the shape? That's a good trick for white birds, black birds, and birds with deceptive color patterns.

If you can't catch them in the daylight, take them off the roost after dark and use the camera flash.

Thank you, I am so glad to hear that Pixel is a girl. It certainly does not act like one. I finally got a SLW and then I thought it was a boy and had to be taken to the farm. I had to give away my Buff Orpington a few weeks ago as she turned into a he in a month. It was the quickest transformation I have ever seen. I will take a pic of Lincoln again tonight and post it. Thanks

 

[TheOddOneOut]

SLW is definitely a male. Unsure on the Brahma

 

[TheOddOneOut]

The SLW has the female color pattern.

Can you get a photo of the Brahma's saddle area with your hand or a piece of colored paper slipped under the feathers so we can see the shape? That's a good trick for white birds, black birds, and birds with deceptive color patterns.

If you can't catch them in the daylight, take them off the roost after dark and use the camera flash.

What do you mean, female pattern? I can see his saddles.

 

[3KillerBs]

What do you mean, female pattern? I can see his saddles.

I could be wrong, because I've only had 2 SLWs, but 18 weeks ought to be old enough to show the white patches on a male bird.

A piece of paper behind the saddles can reveal their true shape when the pattern is one that deceives the eye.

 

[Mare van der Mescht]

Hi all, sorry for not posting pics of the feathers with a piece of paper behind them yet. They are both new little ones in the flock and everytime i come near them with a camera, they run like its a shotgun. I dont want to scare them any more than I already did. We need to give them a bath soon as I want to clean them and the coop just incase we have mites. I will post as soon as we have a warm enough day to not get sick from running around wet. The SLW feather pattern is something that I have heard people mention, but for some reason I cant see what people mean by it. I noticed that Pixel has some green tint in the black feathers, so I guess that could be another sign that its a boy. I am very suspicious about all my new chicks now. I bought a point of lay BO hen and 4 weeks later she turned out to be a he. It was the fastest transformation I have ever seen. Pics were taken on 27 Nov 2022 and then again 28 Dec 2021 she was a he.

 

[3KillerBs]

I noticed that Pixel has some green tint in the black feathers, so I guess that could be another sign that its a boy.

No, green in the black has nothing to do with sex and everything to do with how black feathers work.

All my black females gleam and shimmer in the sun exactly the way the black boys do.

I handle my birds for exams, etc. by taking them off the roost at night and using the camera flash. Not the prettiest photos, but they tell me what I need to know.

 

[Mare van der Mescht]

No, green in the black has nothing to do with sex and everything to do with how black feathers work.

All my black females gleam and shimmer in the sun exactly the way the black boys do.

I handle my birds for exams, etc. by taking them off the roost at night and using the camera flash. Not the prettiest photos, but they tell me what I need to know.

Ok lol thank you for clearing that up. Like I said, this is the first ever SLW i have had or even seen in the flesh, so I am totally ignorant. I know my fav hen is an Australorp and she also has a green shine, but could not really see on the internet photos if SLW also had the green. I could only see it on the roo pics. I have had my Australorp since 2020 and love her to bits. She made me realize how cool chickens are. Seriously, I didnt know they are such cool creatures, but I probably dont have to tell you guys 

 

[Painted Calls]

No, green in the black has nothing to do with sex and everything to do with how black feathers work.

All my black females gleam and shimmer in the sun exactly the way the black boys do.

I handle my birds for exams, etc. by taking them off the roost at night and using the camera flash. Not the prettiest photos, but they tell me what I need to know.

Agreed.

I would not bathe chickens in winter and then let them run around wet. Check your birds at night with a flashlight for mites/lice. Check around vent and belly. If they have them, treat them with a permethrin spray or powder. Getting chickens soaking wet, especially in winter, can kill them quick. They have a hard time maintaining their body temperature when they are wet.