Black Australorp and New Hampshire Red Sexing-- Or Assuaging My Concerns

[iPringle]

We bought four Black Australorps and four New Hampshire Reds from TCS almost three weeks ago. Right now they are all losing their fluffy feathers and most have grown more chicken-y looking feathers (the NHR have lost almost all the fluffy chick feathers and the BAs have started but still are holding onto them). I have read that you can sex chicks by tails and wings. We have two chicks that have long and prominent tail feathers and my wife and I figured "oh those have to be roosters!" I did a little Googling and it seems that we might be wrong and that those might be hens-- which means we might have two hens and six roosters. Obviously that's no good because we want hens only.

Is there a definite way for me to figure this out? Right now I'm concerned we have a flock of roosters and that I'll need to start all over again with new chicks.

 

[keesmom]

Pictures of each would help.

 

[drumstick diva]

Photos please

 

[mymilliefleur]

Photos please

X2

 

[iPringle]

I was mostly just looking for general advice on the subject, but here's some pictures.

 

[donrae]

No one's jumping out as a male at this point

I know some folks hold a lot of stock in the rate of feathering, and I will say overall cockerels seem to feather slower. But personally, I've never put a lot of stock into rate of feathering , or shape of tail, etc when they're this young. I go by comb pretty much all the way, and a little bit of leg thickness. Especially your production bred birds, like you're going to find at TSC, etc, the little males will announce themselves pretty clearly when they're young, with a larger red comb.

 

[iPringle]

No one's jumping out as a male at this point

I know some folks hold a lot of stock in the rate of feathering, and I will say overall cockerels seem to feather slower. But personally, I've never put a lot of stock into rate of feathering , or shape of tail, etc when they're this young. I go by comb pretty much all the way, and a little bit of leg thickness. Especially your production bred birds, like you're going to find at TSC, etc, the little males will announce themselves pretty clearly when they're young, with a larger red comb.

That's really good to hear. We were worrying that we'd have to figure out how to get rid of all those males and then buy some guaranteed pullets for $10 a peice.

 

[donrae]

They're too young to say all female for sure, but be on the lookout for larger, red combs.

Sexing is usually pretty good from the hatcheries, 90% is what they claim.

 

[iPringle]

They're too young to say all female for sure, but be on the lookout for larger, red combs.

Sexing is usually pretty good from the hatcheries, 90% is what they claim.

I'll look for them when I get home. These were straight run, so no sexing at the hatchery. That's why I'm concerned. We got 8 chickens thinking that at least 50% would probably turn out to be female since we are shooting for four hens plus one rooster.