Silver Laced Wyandotte - 4 weeks old - pullet or cockerel

[Southpaw Power]

Hi everyone - Happy New Year!

I have a Silver Laced Wyandotte, named Wiggles, which is suppose to be a pullet. "She" is almost 5 weeks and has changed a little since the pictures I posted but I'll post those pictures come Tuesday 1/2/17. First off, Wiggles comb looks like it's a rose but I can't tell if it's normal looking or does it look like the other 2 chicks were pecking at it. Wiggles feathers grew in fast as hopefully the pictures will demonstrate. She also started growing in tail feathers in as you can see by 2 weeks old.

I had 2 that were suppose to be pullets coming out to be roosters, and I can't have roosters. The worst part about it is I got really attached to them. Of course they gave me an exchange plus 2 others to make the minimum for shipping all for free, but finding homes for them or culling them was really hard to do especially since they were both special breeds which I paid good money for. The funny thing was, I ordered 2 of each, making only 4 total. I gave 2 to my sister and kept the other 2. The 2 I gave my sister are both pullets whereas my 2 were both cockerels. Where I ordered them from has a 95% sexing rate. To top that off, I bought my first 5 pullets from a grain store. Then they told me when I went in when they were about 3 months old that where they got their chicks from, 40% of them were cockerels by customer complaint. Fortunately all 5 of them are indeed pullets laying their little hearts out for me. Then I ordered the other 4 "pullets".

I ordered 3 more prior to knowing for sure the 2 I had were cockerels for delivery the last week before the minimum was 15 chicks through March 2017. Since none of the ones I had that are cockerels were available before a December date, to get only my minimum shipping of 4 instead of 15 during the cold season, I have to wait until April 2017 for those. I can't help but freaked out if any of 3 new ones I have are cockerels too. Once again I ordered double, half for me, half for my sister but this time I had my sister pick which ones she wanted first. It would just kill me if I got more cockerels from a place who promises 95% sexing and if caught before 18 weeks, a full refund/replacement including all shipping cost. There might of been a prorated charge for the shipping but since the error was at 50%, I even got to pick the 2 extras ones they need to send too. Yay. Nevertheless, I'm still scared.

Let me know everyone what you think. I'm also going to post my other two, one under Lavender Orpington and one under Cream Legbar, I am feeling better my Legbar is a pullet though. "Lucy" has a very nice head dress.

1.3 weeks old


2.5 weeks old


3 weeks old




3.6 weeks old






4.2 weeks old

 

[summerb123]

that Is a cockerel

 

[Southpaw Power]

Dear Summer,

OH NO! I'm beginning to think they purposely throw in a couple of cockerels or their sexers are horrible at their job. I feel they throw in some cockerels just to get you to have to buy more especially if it's at a prorated cost. Thank goodness both the cockerels I got started crowing right at 17 weeks where 18 weeks is their cut off time for free replacements. Those pictures I posted don't even show how more red the waddles are becoming. As I told them, I choose my breeds by first what color egg they lay then how they look and personality traits. So when they told me they would through in 2 good egg layers for free to get it to the shipping minimum, I told them I just didn't want 2 extras of anything. Right now I can only have 10 chickens. Due to they didn't have the 2 breeds which are cockerels available when my new 3 other breeds were coming, I have to wait until April, which in turn must be a 4 minimum. That will actually put me with 12 chickens.

I've been looking at other peoples same breed chicks and every bodies answers, and that's why I'm decided to post myself due to Wiggles is looking more like a cockerel.

I'm not going to post my Lavender Orpington and Cream Legbar tonight, but will tomorrow afternoon. Maybe you can look at those too for me.

Thank you and keep in touch for I will post a few more pictures next Tuesday when they will be 5 weeks old.

 

[summerb123]

I'll help with those to!

 

[Cel45]

It is pretty pink, but I am not convinced that it is a cockerel just yet. Post updated pics with a closeup of the comb.

 

[Minnowey]

It is pretty pink, but I am not convinced that it is a cockerel just yet. Post updated pics with a closeup of the comb.

It could be a pullet. I had three Wyandotte hens and they all matured really fast. I thought they were roos until about 5 months.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

When the wings come in the girls will be beautifully laced while the boys will have more of a solid color block. That carries true for all laced breeds. The second to the last pic you posted does look like some white that won't turn to lacing on the wing.

I would be surprised if you could sex orpington this young, but hey you can try!

Often when hatcheries throw in extra birds, they are referred to as packing peanuts to help get your order to you safely (warm).... and yes, males. And most have only about 90% accuracy in sexing, so 1 out of 10 being male would be a possibility. Some claim 95%.

Was the CCL part of your order or an extra? What kind of place would sell CCL that can't be sexed at hatch accurately when that is their whole appeal?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

One other quick note....

Quick growing in tail feathers is less of a boy indicator to me than almost no tail feathers that grow in real slow. Every time I get a short slow tail... ALWAYS boy.

We should be able to help you sex way before 18 weeks on most breeds...

 

[summerb123]

that is a cockerel to much comb slow growth rate comb should NOT be that big for his age and not to mention those legs....those legs are one very much a sign too so cockerel...

 

[Southpaw Power]

When the wings come in the girls will be beautifully laced while the boys will have more of a solid color block. That carries true for all laced breeds. The second to the last pic you posted does look like some white that won't turn to lacing on the wing.

I would be surprised if you could sex orpington this young, but hey you can try!

Often when hatcheries throw in extra birds, they are referred to as packing peanuts to help get your order to you safely (warm).... and yes, males. And most have only about 90% accuracy in sexing, so 1 out of 10 being male would be a possibility. Some claim 95%.

Was the CCL part of your order or an extra? What kind of place would sell CCL that can't be sexed at hatch accurately when that is their whole appeal?

Thank you for your response. Yes I ordered 2 Silver Laced Wyandotte, 2 Lavender Orpington , 2 Cream Legbar and one Blue Splash Maran . Three for me, four for my sister. No warm packing peanuts required.
I only order what I want to make the minimum with only what I want. I have a friend who gets hers at a place that seems to always throw in "packing peanuts" as well even if she has the minimum. I actually have talked to the company I got these chicks from and stressed, "I'm paying extra for females only, I expect to receive that, at least since they do guarantee 95%", 95% of the time. I only "stressed" that after I knew I had 2 cockerels out of 4 possible. Besides, they do place a heating pad in with them and I pay the over night shipping cost which is $60.00 and order which is required for all orders under 15 chicks. I'm not trying to be or sound like a horrible person, but like I mentioned above out of 4, 2 were cockerels. Split the shipping by 4, add cost of each chick, taxes; comes out to about $35.00 each chick.

Maybe I'm being too silly for myself, but an order of only 4 specialty chicks with the 95%, I would be ok if "maybe" one came out to be a cockerel. The real problem I have with it is, my minimum order is 4; so if one or in my case two are cockerels, yes they will send me free replacements, but I still have to have at least 4 to ship. Due to it was a 50% error on sexing, I do not have to pay for partial shipping or the cost of the other 2 chicks. If I can have as many chickens as I want, there would be no problem, but I can't (at least right now where currently live). Then they couldn't replace both breeds I originally ordered to place in my November order nor one of them in my April 2017 order. Grrrr - sorry blowing off steam, breath - Ok. I love the people who work there which has been fantastic through all of this, besides the fact they have a large selection of specialty breeds available; BUT, I'm only "allowed" 10 chickens but due to their mistake I'm up to 12 due to having to send extras for the minimum shipping amount. (12 is including the 4 that are coming in April.) And yes I know I could just take a refund but I really wanted those breeds.

Maybe I'm asking for too much - what do you think. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Thanks, Linda