RIR Sexing

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Foxyrockie

Foxyrockie

In the Brooder
Jul 9, 2015
53
0
41
Dallas, Tx
I've read that the chicks with a dark line down the tops of their heads are the females. Also, that the feathers on young chicks tend to be fuller on females and more sparse on males. Not really sure how accurate this is. I have noticed that some of my chicks are thinner and more upright and some are shorter and more "squat" for lack of better terms. I think they're about a week old. Can you tell sex by stature at this age? I've included a few pic of my babies if anyone wants to venture a guess as to what I've got. The guys at the feed store are kinda fond of me so I think they'll probably let me swap out the boys!



















They didn't really wanna keep still so I'm sorry they kinda move from pic to pic. And pardon my terrible manicure! Lol
 
I don't think you'd be able to tell at only a week old. But you are right, RIR males feathers do come in quite a bit more sparse, and the feathers on their shoulders are a darker red. By 3 weeks you should be able to tell.
 
Foxyrockie said:
I've read that the chicks with a dark line down the tops of their heads are the females. Also, that the feathers on young chicks tend to be fuller on females and more sparse on males. Not really sure how accurate this is. I have noticed that some of my chicks are thinner and more upright and some are shorter and more "squat" for lack of better terms. I think they're about a week old. Can you tell sex by stature at this age? I've included a few pic of my babies if anyone wants to venture a guess as to what I've got. The guys at the feed store are kinda fond of me so I think they'll probably let me swap out the boys!



















They didn't really wanna keep still so I'm sorry they kinda move from pic to pic. And pardon my terrible manicure! Lol
Click to expand...
Much too young to sex at this point. Adorable little coop, but be very careful with lights in such a small, enclosed space. Chicks produce a LOT of dust once they are over 2 weeks old. It doesn't take long for that dust to build up enough on the lamp, to be a fire hazard. Plus those babies will start to get very rambunctious, and might knock it down.
 
junebuggena said:
Much too young to sex at this point. Adorable little coop, but be very careful with lights in such a small, enclosed space. Chicks produce a LOT of dust once they are over 2 weeks old. It doesn't take long for that dust to build up enough on the lamp, to be a fire hazard. Plus those babies will start to get very rambunctious, and might knock it down.
Click to expand...
Agree. I was cleaning thick layers of dust off my heat lamps almost daily last time I brooded. Heat lamps are more dangerous than a lot of people would think, so always be careful, use the smallest wattage bulb possible, or go with another brooding alternative such as a heating pad or a heat panel.
 
beetandsteet said:
Agree. I was cleaning thick layers of dust off my heat lamps almost daily last time I brooded. Heat lamps are more dangerous than a lot of people would think, so always be careful, use the smallest wattage bulb possible, or go with another brooding alternative such as a heating pad or a heat panel.
Click to expand...
Somebody on the Easter HAL thread just lost 16 chicks and a whole, brand new coop, due to a heat lamp fire.
 
junebuggena said:
Somebody on the Easter HAL thread just lost 16 chicks and a whole, brand new coop, due to a heat lamp fire.
Click to expand...
That's horrible. There's a board on Pinterest I follow that is nothing but pins about heat lamp fires. I just used the Mama heating pad method on my most recent batch of chicks and was super pleased. Will probably be retiring my old heat lamps.
 
Thanks for the concern guys. Actually the heat lamp is on the outside of the house, underneath the coop. Its about 18 inches from the floor of the coop, just to keep the floor warm. The light inside is a standard 60 watt bulb for a little extra warmth. I also attached it to the roof with 2 separate screw in hooks just in case one somehow got loose, the other would still hold. I had to play with the setup a little bc first they were too hot, then too cold. Now they're happily running around chirping, pecking, and falling asleep in place! Lol

I only plan to have this setup a little while though. Once the rain lets up and they get their feathers they (and their house) will be moved outside with an attached run. I'm in Texas, and it's already getting pretty warm outside. I anticipate they'll be good to go out without the heat lamp in a month or so.
 
Foxyrockie said:
Thanks for the concern guys. Actually the heat lamp is on the outside of the house, underneath the coop. Its about 18 inches from the floor of the coop, just to keep the floor warm. The light inside is a standard 60 watt bulb for a little extra warmth. I also attached it to the roof with 2 separate screw in hooks just in case one somehow got loose, the other would still hold. I had to play with the setup a little bc first they were too hot, then too cold. Now they're happily running around chirping, pecking, and falling asleep in place! Lol

I only plan to have this setup a little while though. Once the rain lets up and they get their feathers they (and their house) will be moved outside with an attached run. I'm in Texas, and it's already getting pretty warm outside. I anticipate they'll be good to go out without the heat lamp in a month or so.
Click to expand...
Light bulbs in the coop, whether they are regular or heat lamp type, are fire hazards. Chicks produce a LOT of dust. Check that bulb daily.
If that's going to be their coop as adults, it's too small for more than 3 or 4 adult Rhode Island Reds.
 
Again, thanks for the concern, but I'm aware of the dust and I'm sure that a 60 watt bulb is not going to catch fire, as I've used this setup before with no issue. In either case, the coop is located in the center of my house where the chicks are checked on more than a dozen times a day and night. I'm also aware of how many chickens my coop will hold. Not trying to sound rude, but I'd rather a little more advice about what I actually asked about. Totally get that you guys don't want me to loose my flock. But I put a lot of thought into my setup and it is carefully monitored daily.
 
So my babies just went outside and I saw 2 of them "fighting". Does that mean those 2 are Roos? I didn't think that pullets or hens do the cock fight so I'm wondering if this is an early indicator of little boys.
400
 

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