Topic of the Week - Sexing Chicks

[Dean Wood]

Oh I hope not.

Sorry, I hope I am wrong but I can't see it being girl

 

[2chookchooks]

Sorry, I hope I am wrong but I can't see it being girl

Thanks

 

[BlueBaby]

I'm glad that this thread was started, and I need to follow it.

 

[gypsyfarmgirl]

For me I'm interested just for the fun, to see if I can guess correctly. Our hens hatched a lot of chicks last year, and already have 5 of our own babies this year, in addition to the 60+ straight run Aloha chicks I got from Sommer.
They aren't quite 3 weeks old yet, but at about 2-3 days old I tried wing sexing. I'm pretty sure that either I don't know what I'm doing, or it doesn't work for my chickens, because I only tagged 14 of 69 as boys! And as we all know the odds are that probably 40 are actually roos. Lol

So, those of you who hatch chicks, especially the color sexing varieties, what do you do if you think you have a rooster you don't want? Do you just cull the boys you don't want?

 

[FlomatonsFlocks]

Banty chooks said:
"Your best indicator is personality combined with physical signs."
(for some reason, my quote function isn't working at the moment) Very good information in that post from Banty chooks IMO.

I agree - with everything Banty chooks said, you will get to know your breed and your flock and be able to tell better and better with time.

That said... I'm completely spoiled and have autosexing breeds for the most part and will going forward. Here are some photos that show a bit of the 'attitude' in chicks that are just a day or two old:

Looks a little more shy/coy -- if she had eyelashes she would bat them = girl. She's saying "Am I cute or what?"*

Looks a little more 'in your face' -- and proud....more noticable comb even at this baby age...= boy. This chick grew up to be a rooster. He's saying "Are you looking at me?"
Of course hindsight is always 20/20. The "tell" on these is that she has crisp separation in her chick-down stripes -- notice above her eyes the color demarkation, his are more blended and diffuse -- notice less clear, crisp stripe.

Question regarding Dominique and BPR - I think the poster was referring to the sexable headspots that some of the lines have and not the fast or slow feathering..... Only certain breeds can be feather-sexed from what I understand...not just all chickens generally.

My variety gets a headspot for males at hatch time -- and that comes from the barring in their genetic background.

ETA - *Sometimes the little boy chicks are also awfully cute/sweet.

Good topic Suni! Thanks.

What breed are your beautiful babies?!

 

[FlomatonsFlocks]

Vent Sexing. It's even wrong sometimes.

 

[ChicKat]

What breed are your beautiful babies?!

Regarding mine, it is a new variety that combines Legbar and Leghorn. They've been called "Opal Legbars" and "Lavender Legbars"
Here's a really long thread about the process of creating them if you are interested. Some of the pictures, sadly have fallen out - because I didn't insert pictures in a BYC album before posting.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...uckoo-barred-project-and-genetic-dis.1153068/

 

[FlomatonsFlocks]

Regarding mine, it is a new variety that combines Legbar and Leghorn. They've been called "Opal Legbars" and "Lavender Legbars"
Here's a really long thread about the process of creating them if you are interested. Some of the pictures, sadly have fallen out - because I didn't insert pictures in a BYC album before posting.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...uckoo-barred-project-and-genetic-dis.1153068/

Thank you so much! Very interested in your breed. Really appreciate the response. Gonna go learn more about them now!

 

[2chookchooks]

For those playing along at home 11 weeks old tomorrow and it looks like one pullet and on cockral

Oh very timely, I have two little one I hope are ladies . The are a farm mix, possibly from legbar X mum and , Silkies or Frizzle X dads.
So got the easy to tell and hard to tell me mixed

Anyone want to take a guess? View attachment 1243248

 

[2chookchooks]

Sorry, I hope I am wrong but I can't see it being girl

Her today 11 weeks old (almost )