Wyandottes!!! Why are they sooo hard to sex??

[MommaBee]

We have pretty much figured out all of our birds on sexing. But these wyandottes! We hatched a gold laced and then rescued two silver laced (who were sold from hatcheries as girls from the person we got them from). They are the same age, 5 weeks and few days. But they all looks like boys to me. I would love your thoughts.

Here is the first one (two pics)- White headed Silver Laced. It's weird coloring has me wondering if it is boy.





Here is black headed silver laced (two pics)- What is up with all that red?






I will try to go get one of the Gold Laced. I appreciate your thoughts. We are fine with Roosters but I would just kinda like to know who is a keeper and who is headed for the stew pot.

 

[MommaBee]

No luck with getting the gold laced to cooperate but here is one from last week that I took...

 

[annav410]

I am really curious to hear what the experts say on this. My GLW looks very similar to yours. Her comb starts off pink and then has slowly turned tanish. She has little pink wattles coming in as well which has me concerned. I am still thinking she is a girl even with the pink comb and wattles because she just acts like a pullet to me. Her demeanor and the way she carries herself seems feminine. She also has feminine legs. I would post a picture but didn't want to hijack your thread. Hopefully you get some feedback soon.

 

[MommaBee]

I am really curious to hear what the experts say on this. My GLW looks very similar to yours. Her comb starts off pink and then has slowly turned tanish. She has little pink wattles coming in as well which has me concerned. I am still thinking she is a girl even with the pink comb and wattles because she just acts like a pullet to me. Her demeanor and the way she carries herself seems feminine. She also has feminine legs. I would post a picture but didn't want to hijack your thread. Hopefully you get some feedback soon.

Please!!! High jack away! I think this breed is tough and we need more pics to compare it too! I would love if there were a lot of pics on here of Wyandottes at different ages that are identified as pullet or cockerel just so that people could just look and compare.

 

[fifistamps]

I'm going to keep my eye on your thread. I feel like our "girls" look very similar. Now I want a GL wyandotte too! Here is another waddle shot about 4 weeks.

 

[PeakyBeaky]

Welcome to Wyandottes! Hatchery birds are alot harder to sex. From your pictures, they both could be girls. Ususally, if there is more white around the neck, it's more likely a pullet. Nothing screams cockerel.

Just from the one picture of your GL-it's a boy. That's alot of comb/wattle for a girl, esp at that age.

 

[MommaBee]

Welcome to Wyandottes! Hatchery birds are alot harder to sex. From your pictures, they both could be girls. Ususally, if there is more white around the neck, it's more likely a pullet. Nothing screams cockerel.

Just from the one picture of your GL-it's a boy. That's alot of comb/wattle for a girl, esp at that age.

Thank you for chiming in! I hope more wyandotte pros will too! Do you have examples of any of your chicks at this age?

And, yes, that GLW was only 4 weeks when I took that pic. We had a feeling about him.

But the SLW could still be a girl with that much red on the neck?

 

[annav410]

Ok, here is my Dotty (I know not the most original name but it suits her! lol). So her comb came in very pink and then turned tanish at the bottom. It is kind of hard to see but her comb isn't all red, just the new areas as she grows. She is a hatchery girl and her lacing isn't very good either. To be honest I am concerned about the pink comb and wattle but as I stated before, she doesn't act much like a cockerel. As a newbie, I am going to wait until she either lays an egg or HE crows. We can't really keep roos so fingers crossed

that she really is a girl. I should mention that she is 7 weeks old.



Here is another picture of her:

 

[lizanne]

All mine are "sexed" Wyandotte pullets from the feed store. Two Silver Laced and one Gold Laced. The look similar to all the other hatchery Wyandottes on here. They all have pinkish combs, but I'm thinking they are all pullets.

 

[PeakyBeaky]

Here is a picture of 2 grow outs from last season, the pullet is on the left. Cockerels usually have a darker head and get "shields" of white on there shoulders, while the female is more evenly patterned. Plus his comb is pinker.