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[sjp]

I've got a 20-21 week old light Sussex grower/POL that I can't decide if it's a boy or girl.

it's not got a very impressive set of head gear (the 2 10 week old boys I've got have far better head gear) and no sign of saddle feathers it's tail is scruffy some days it look male other time female it voice is still to brake one way or another the neck feathers are of no help as I can't see the detail properly without my reading glasses which I can't wear if I'm trying to catch the little blighter

my question is are light Sussex normally this hard to sex

P.S. there aren't any photos partly because it won't stand still long enough

Edited September 25, 2014 by Guest

[redsunset]

I'm no expert by any means but judging by the age, I would expect the difference to be very obvious by now in terms of comb size and saddle feathers? Is it a pure breed Sussex or hybrid?

[Daphne]

It should be obvious by now. Although I haven't had LS, I've had reds and whites and the boys are quite clear quite early on (feather up more slowly particularly tails and wings, then as they get a bit older the combs are bigger, then you get the longer/thicker legs and beginnings of swoopy saddle feathers, my lads would start crowing 15/16 weeks). From what you've said it might well be a girl! I wouldn't expect even a submissive male to pretend to be a girl if its only surrounded by 10 week olds (admittedly it might if it was sharing with a dominant male). I think we need a picture - can you rope in ANO to help

[Egluntyne]

Look at the tail saddle and hackle feathers. If it is a cockerel, the tail will be flamboyant, the saddle feathers will be starting to sweep over, and the hackle feathers will be pointy.

[sjp]

thanks for the replies I forgot to say that it's the only LS I've got and it's in with a female cream legbar the 2 were brought together as day olds it's supposed to be a pure LS but I'm not convinced that it's 100% but that's not a problem for me. it doesn't have any saddle feathers and it's the tail that's confusing me as I said it's scruffy the scruffy bits make me think it's male but the not so scruffy bits look female I have to say that up to about 6 weeks ago I was more or less sure it was a boy but now it's older it's less clear the hackle feathers are the ones I can't see in good enough detail.

I had a submissive male grower last year (my number 3 cockerel) but even from an early age you could tell from his looks he was a boy. the 10 week olds again from about a month old the 2 boys were obvious from the head gear plus the one a cuckoo maran Barnvelder cross was and is very slow feathering up

[Beantree]

At that age, if male, he would be be treading the Legbar hen in with him. I'd expect an egg in the next few weeks Sjp.

[sjp]

At that age, if male, he would be be treading the Legbar hen in with him. I'd expect an egg in the next few weeks Sjp.

the Legbar is top one of the pair even through she's half the size of the LS

I've been expecting an egg from the CLB for a month now the LS the sooner the better as then I can move them both in with my Maran Cockerel

[sjp]

well I think it's safe to say that my LS is a pullet judging by the complaining she's been doing this afternoon/evening. I opened up the divide between the growers run and the main run this morning and closed it off this evening so that the LS and CLB had to stay in there and boy did she complain

[Daphne]