Two Silver Laced Wyandotte Pullets?

[Chipmunk Chicks]

Oh man, I can't reveal my secret sauce!

Some of these, when you have just a single bird being sexed, can be more of a guessing game. However, when you one of each, it becomes far easier. Just your behavioral comparisons alone are enough, but the posture is what really seals the deal.

Right!? Such a fun "teachable moment!" I'm not too disappointed, if anything these two may become my first breeding / hatching lesson birds, too!

It's helped me, I think, that I had my first other cockerel who was much more obvious, to finally have something confirmed to reference. Pullets may have high set tails or chest bump each other from time to time etc. but once you see that Stance, it's like whoa. It really jumps out at you. And that Look. Lol. Sylvia is starting to look at me with this sort of serious, grandfatherly, hawkish look. Where Ivy just has her sweet little pullet face. I feel like their beaks are even looking different.

Another interesting behavioral thing happened as I was initially juggling chicks. I had decided to keep the two Wyandottes and Carmella and Marshmallow. So that left five pullets (or possibly the jury's out on Ruby still, but let's assume they were all pullets for now) in one brooder, and they were *so calm.* Ruby seemed to be naturally taking on the "head hen" role, and the Bieles let her, and Peep was just happy to snuggle with her surrogate Biele mommies.

Meanwhile next door... These four other chicks were just hopping!!!! There was no rest! I'm like what the heck is going on here, and do I really want this in my flock!? But it makes perfect sense because it would have been both cockerels in there trying to sort it out, and just the two little pullets trying to stay out of the way. That was when my suspicions really started to grow because you could sort of see the males and the females acting differently.

Sylvia, being docile, when I instead broke him out with the two SGE pullets, leaving Ruby and Marshmallow alone together, everything went back to being calm. Even Ruby and Marshmallow together seemed relatively calm, which made me wonder more about Ruby also being male, bc they had no females in with them, but now it's making me think Ruby is actually female, but with no competition, Marshmallow was well, mellow. Lol Adding back in first Ruby, and then Marshmallow, everyone has their personalities, but it seems like all six have found a happy groove. Just now, the three "SGE" pullets were hanging together, the Wyandottes were together, and Marshmallow was hanging back just observing it all. I would like to think the three pullets all have similar single combs, where clearly now Marshmallow is reddening up nicely.

That's just the one sleeper now is if Ruby (possible RIR, possible red SGE?) suddenly starts looking less pullety. I've heard they can sneak up on you.

So I have nine mature hens, four new pullets, and two young cockerels. Can this work? Should I get a few more pullets or else plan to try and hatch more Australorps this late summer / fall? (Which would mean acquiring a 5ish month cockerel, who would be ready to breed with my Sydney.) Do I need to just start up my rooster house here???

I wasn't planning on keeping the Bielefelders, but I don't know if it honestly would just make for a better ratio of hens for the time being. (9 hens, 7 pullets, 2 cockerels). ???

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

4 weeks, Silver Laced Wyandottes from Hoover's / Tractor Supply.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

Well, I hate to say, but the closer we get to six weeks, the less convinced I am that Sylvia is really a Sterling. :/ I was really getting used to the idea! I will try to take some updated pictures in the next day or two, but in the mean time, I'm not sure I'm convinced...

There have been several body language and behavior things that have let me continue believing Sylvia is in fact a cockerel, just much less dominant than Marshmallow.

Well, Marshmallow flew at my hip last night, and landed on my back this morning, so I have him separated just to see what happens. And the whole pen just got so calm. Possibly like a pen full of pullets? I am not sure then if maybe she could just be a dominant pullet to her sister Ivy? Bigger, redder comb, more assertive personality? But Ivy will run up and be held, where Sylvia is timid and probably the hardest to catch. But when I'm gathering up the pullets to move into the enclosure each morning, Marshmallow is often hanging back in the brooder with Sylvia, so they would be the last to get moved. Obviously that doesn't mean a whole lot. I just don't know anymore.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

Not sure if any of this will look conclusive to anyone out there, but anyway, I snapped some pics. Chicks are all about 5.5 weeks. Blue band is Sylvia / Sterling, and Green band is Ivy.

So the first few are of the bird in question, slightly bigger with more white on the shoulders. Looking at the pics, I'm thinking "he?" is possibly looking a little bit rumpless? Vs. the last profile pic is Miss Ivy chick.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

 

[JedJackson]

View attachment 3520293

Both are pullets, in my opinion.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

Both are pullets, in my opinion.

I respect that. This is my first time with the breed, so I wasn't sure if how the one has more white on the shoulders could be a male pattern.

 

[JedJackson]

I respect that. This is my first time with the breed, so I wasn't sure if how the one has more white on the shoulders could be a male pattern.

Shoulder patches in males will generally not have black markings mixed in, but really the key here is combs and wattles. They can show early in pullets, but at that age a male would be more obvious with more growth and redness. Anyway, that's my take on these two.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

What do you think @BastyPutt Still waiting for Sylvia to crow?

Pretty sure I already know @JedJackson will say, "pullets". Lol

We are at 8 weeks now. When they are all together, I still some of those funny behavioral things that I know I can't take too much stock in, but I get a kick out of nevertheless. The way Sylvia and Marshmallow are looking at each other in this picture, for example.

Anyway, still have a while to wait for an egg, either way.

 

[JedJackson]

"Pretty sure I already know @JedJackson will say, "pullets". Lol"

You're right about that!