Breed / Gender ID - 1st graders hatched them!

[henny1129]

I recently learned a way of sexing chickens and it is really cool and reliable. It also doesn't hurt the chickens. Take each of the chickens and look at their vents. You might have to gently touch the vent and pull it down a little bit. If the chick is a cockerel it will have what looks like a very small pimple in the vent, it might be very hard to see. If it is a pullet it will not have a pimple. On chickens the pimple is very small. If it is there it is for sure a cockerel. Good luck and tell me how this works! Your chicks are very cute too!
Good luck,
henny1129

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I think it's better to wait until you see pink combs, vent sexing can damage them if you aren't careful.

 

[5Gr8tKids]

I think Harry potter and Stripey are your only hens.

I think you may be right! I had someone suggest that Blondie may be a "she" so I'm hopeful Thankfully, I have 6 "pullets" that appear to all be girls. I'm still not sure about 4 roosters, but at least I'm in the country and can keep them if they get a long and I want to.

I recently learned a way of sexing chickens and it is really cool and reliable. It also doesn't hurt the chickens. Take each of the chickens and look at their vents. You might have to gently touch the vent and pull it down a little bit. If the chick is a cockerel it will have what looks like a very small pimple in the vent, it might be very hard to see. If it is a pullet it will not have a pimple. On chickens the pimple is very small. If it is there it is for sure a cockerel. Good luck and tell me how this works!

Your chicks are very cute too!
Good luck,
henny1129

Thanks for the tip, I've seen videos of them doing vent sexing at the hatchery. I am going to wait and see how it turns out. It's fun watching them grow. I'm amazed at how much they have changed in just a month!

 

[5Gr8tKids]

Dotty, Stripey, Harry Potter are pullets. Lightning and Blondie are cockerels. Sunny is still a coin toss but I'm leaning towards pullet.

Thanks. Do you mind sharing why you think that? I'm having fun learning as we wait!

 

[5Gr8tKids]

Thanks for sharing your experience! I'll keep posting updates as they grow.

Experience mostly. But the combs on the pullets are short and dull orange/pink. The boys are bright red at this age. Single combed breeds are much easier to tell as they are growing as well. The pea and rose combed breeds are a little harder. But at this age they would brighter red in color.

 

[5Gr8tKids]

The girls (and boys) were out playing today and I don't know if it was being outdoors that made them seem deeper red or what but, oy... Could any even possibly be girls at this point? Only pictured are the ones my daughter noticed were darker red.

They hatched 5 weeks ago.

Dotty (SLW) - also has what I think it's male coloring, solid on shoulders / tail area.

Lighting - white Jersey giant

Blondie - Buff Orp... Oh I was hoping you were a hen!

Sunny - still slow to feather, most erect tail of the bunch. Not sure on breed, though Columbian wyandotte could be.