How To Sex A Chicken - Wisdom From An Old Timer

[jdoane]

OMG this thread was hysterical!!!

But of course when I finished reading it I had to go try! My chicks are two weeks old. Supposedly all pullets. Three were sexed at Meyers and two were feather sexed by a local breeder (English Orpingtons - he showed me the difference and boy was there a difference - mind you he was not guaranteeing anything). I did two methods - holding them up and seeing if they dangle or pull up their legs and flipping them over on their backs.

Chicks 1, 2 and 3 (Sexed by Meyers) "tested" as pullets but both methods
Chicks 4 (Feather sexed) "tested" as pullet by both methods
Chick 5 (Feather sexed) "tested" as pullet by dangling method and roo by back method.

I'll let you know in a few months! But I'd have to say I put more stock in the wait for a crow or an egg!

 

[Vectorwoman]

I do not know how to sex a newborn chick but I think I figured out the very young cockrel (around 3 months old) will have tiny buds inside his legs where the spikes will one day be. It looks kinda like a tiny pimple. He also has a few tail feathers that are curved down and pointed at the ends. Am I correct?

 

[Fred's Hens]

I do not know how to sex a newborn chick but I think I figured out the very young cockrel (around 3 months old) will have tiny buds inside his legs where the spikes will one day be. It looks kinda like a tiny pimple. He also has a few tail feathers that are curved down and pointed at the ends. Am I correct?

Not really. Both males and females sprout spur buds. Pointed feathers are a better look-see. On the single combs, look for redness early, along with red wattles early. The cockerels sprout as early as 5 weeks, while the pullets rarely show much of anything until nearer laying time.

 

[KelsiNS]

A woman we bought chicks from picked them up by the head to sex them. I yanked those birds out of her hands and said, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" she said, "sexing them." I told her id rather take my chances of getting a boy than watch her snatch up five week old birds by the skull.

 

[newbie32]

I would never do that to my chicks. I am always afraid I am going to hurt them when I pick them up. On the other hand-the WAY u described that was funny.

I am very impatient to find out what mine are

. MANY people on here were supposed to give updates and never did.

I am not sticking my finger in their butts to find out

!!!!!! Just curious though-how old does that work until?

 

[jdoane]

OMG this thread was hysterical!!!

But of course when I finished reading it I had to go try! My chicks are two weeks old. Supposedly all pullets. Three were sexed at Meyers and two were feather sexed by a local breeder (English Orpingtons - he showed me the difference and boy was there a difference - mind you he was not guaranteeing anything). I did two methods - holding them up and seeing if they dangle or pull up their legs and flipping them over on their backs.

Chicks 1, 2 and 3 (Sexed by Meyers) "tested" as pullets but both methods
Chicks 4 (Feather sexed) "tested" as pullet by both methods
Chick 5 (Feather sexed) "tested" as pullet by dangling method and roo by back method.

I'll let you know in a few months! But I'd have to say I put more stock in the wait for a crow or an egg!

OK little update on mine. They are still only 3 1/2 weeks but we had a funny development. When I posted this I was thinking that chicks 1, 2 and 3 were a Buff Orpington, a Barred Rock, and a Black Australorp. Turns out chick one is a Golden Sex Link so now we are SURE she is a girl.

Our little case of mistaken identity came about because we got a BO and a GSL and then one died at three days. We were sure it was the GSL that had died but at about 2 weeks the coloring started coming in on the remaining chick. Oooop!

 

[GimmeCake]

A woman we bought chicks from picked them up by the head to sex them. I yanked those birds out of her hands and said, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" she said, "sexing them." I told her id rather take my chances of getting a boy than watch her snatch up five week old birds by the skull.

What I want to know is who in the world thought picking them up by the head would sex them.

 

[newbie32]

OK little update on mine. They are still only 3 1/2 weeks but we had a funny development. When I posted this I was thinking that chicks 1, 2 and 3 were a Buff Orpington, a Barred Rock, and a Black Australorp. Turns out chick one is a Golden Sex Link so now we are SURE she is a girl.

Our little case of mistaken identity came about because we got a BO and a GSL and then one died at three days. We were sure it was the GSL that had died but at about 2 weeks the coloring started coming in on the remaining chick. Oooop!

LOL well how are SURE its a girl?

 

[jdoane]

LOL well how are SURE its a girl?

With the sexlinked chickens the girls chicks are one color and the boys another. In the case of a Golden Sex Link. The girls chicks are a darker buff color and turn into a reddish pullet. The boy chicks are pale yellow and turn into mainly white cockrels. So definitely a girl!!!!

 

[newbie32]

Oh cool! I had no idea, maybe next time I will get some of those since its easier to tell Although I heard you cant breed them.