10-week-old Sebrights: Why is this so difficult?

[shanadienne]

Okay, I have some admittedly small and low-quality pictures of two golden Sebrights whose genders escape me because they're giving mixed signals. (Hen-feathering in Sebrights is not one of those signals I'm using.) Some of these pictures were taken when they were 9 weeks old, most were taken four days later so about 9 and a half weeks.

Sebright 1:



Sebright 2 on the left, and Sebright 1 on the right for these pictures:






Sebright 1 on the left, Sebright 2 on the right for these:




Sebright 2:











Going by combs and lack of noticable wattles, it looks like these chicks are the same gender. But #2 we've decided is most likely a pullet, while #1 has crowed a few times on two occasions. The first time was when they were about four weeks old. It crowed about 2 to 4 times. The second time was when they were eight weeks old. (I have a video of it on YouTube.) However, since our d'Uccle started crowing, I haven't heard anything remotely like a crow from Sebright 1.

Statistically, I would have a hard time believing they're both female, because that would mean out of five chicks from TSC I got 4 pullets and one cockerel.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

It's harder to tell with birds that have rose combs, such as Sebrights, so the wattle development would be the best indicator of the gender.

 

[my sunwolf]

At 9 weeks males would have much redder combs than your birds, so they look like pullets. Are you sure it was a crow? Can you give us the video link?

 

[shmccarthy]

This is a picture of my Sebright cockerel when he was 8 weeks. (He was surprised hehehe) Judging by the comb development, or lack therof, I'd say you have pullets.

 

[shanadienne]

This was May 5th, so in this s/he's almost 8 weeks old.

 

[my sunwolf]

Wow, that's very interesting, I've never seen a bird that young make that kind of crowing sound. You may have a crowing female, that does occasionally happen, though it is rare. I really don't think a cockerel can mature so slowly as to have no bright red in the comb OR no growth in the comb at 9 weeks, but who knows, there are some very late bloomers out there. Guess time will tell on this one.

 

[shanadienne]

I'm kind of speechless... I assumed I was stuck with 5 male bantams. One of them is definitely a cockerel, but for the others, one by one it's been all, "SURPRISE! I'm a pullet!"

I guess Sam/Sebright 1 is abnormal either way... I'll refer to her as "most likely a female" for now.

Input from others is still appreciated! If Sam is male I want my hopes dashed sooner rather than later...

 

[shanadienne]

Also, is a ten week old cockerel who's already tried mating with a hen (who kicked his butt, lol) capable of telling apart females his age from males? I've seen him grabbing the shoulders or heads of both sebrights (and the two OEGBs that are definitely female) like he's trying to mate.

 

[shanadienne]

Hey, Sam/Sebright 1 crowed again today! It was ear-piercing and I recorded most of it with my crappy webcam. And also made an effort to show her face to the camera so you can reaffirm that this looks like a female.


When I first heard it, I assumed it was my silkie Molly, who crowed randomly the other day, but then it turned out it was Sam. I don't know if this makes sense but it sounds like a hen's crow to me. Sam is 11 weeks old (and maybe 1 day) today, by the way.

 

[Smoochie]

My seabright hen could crow better than a rooster. She laid eggs in the lone crate she was as well just to be sure..