Trying to understand delayed feathering

[SLChicks]

Some breeds are autosexing, like Cream Legbar. You can tell at hatch which are boys or girls. There are some combinations that you can tell sex by feather color at hatch but you need to know some things about their parents. There are some, like Barred Rock, that you can get some pretty strong clues at hatch, but only if they are pure Barred Rocks. That method requires some experience. There is a method you can tell sex at hatch by the wing feathers that have started coming out but that's only if the parents are set up a certain way genetically. Then there are some that can give you some clues but they are more clues than certainties.

Generally at about five weeks many chicks start to show signs one way or another. If you can take a close-up showing the comb and wattles and a shot showing legs, profile, and posture we might be able to say pretty sure if it is male or female. Or we might say we are not sure. I've had one 5 months old before I was finally sure. It turned out to be a boy but I just wasn't sure. I've had a very few that based on posture and attitude I was sure was a boy right at hatch. To me it is usually easier to say that it is definitely a boy than it is definitely a girl though sometimes the girls can be easy too.

Thank you for all of this information, it really helps! Ok here are some pics of one I'm pretty suspicious about.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thank you for all of this information, it really helps! Ok here are some pics of one I'm pretty suspicious about.

Looks like a gold laced Wyandotte. I see nothing currently that indicates it's a male.

 

[SLChicks]

Looks like a gold laced Wyandotte. I see nothing currently that indicates it's a male.

Well that's good to know! Sold as an "Olive egger" so maybe that's the mix?

 

[SLChicks]

Looks like a gold laced Wyandotte. I see nothing currently that indicates it's a male.

What type of comb is this?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

What type of comb is this?

It's a rose comb. To me it looks like a pure gold laced Wyandotte.

 

[SLChicks]

It's a rose comb. To me it looks like a pure gold laced Wyandotte.

Thank you! I guess that's how it goes at Rural King...who knows what breeds I have! Definitely wouldn't be mad though, they're so pretty and I'd prefer one over an Olive egger.