What Gender Is This Brown Leghorn?

[pvchicken1]

I have heard that Brown leghorns can be sorta a Auto-sex breeds. With the males being lighter and the girls being darker. Here is the link: Brown Leghorn Chick Sexing. The website says it works. I have a newly hatched Brown Leghorn Chick. What Gender is it? I think it is a Female do you ?

 

[black_cat]

No, that doesn't work. That article was also published in the 1940s, and I'd say that it's safe to assume that info that old is no longer considered accurate. Brown leghorns are not autosexing, and you will have to wait until this one grows up to tell the gender.

 

[pvchicken1]

No, that doesn't work. That article was also published in the 1940s, and I'd say that it's safe to assume that info that old is no longer considered accurate. Brown leghorns are not autosexing, and you will have to wait until this one grows up to tell the gender

I will be selling them to a friend who only wants females, so what should I do?

 

[FuzzyCritters]

Thinking pullet as well.

 

[FuzzyCritters]

No, that doesn't work. That article was also published in the 1940s, and I'd say that it's safe to assume that info that old is no longer considered accurate. Brown leghorns are not autosexing, and you will have to wait until this one grows up to tell the gender.

This method of sexing is still used today by Welsummer breeders to sex chicks, with an 80-90% accuracy. Brown leghorns have the exact same pattern and color genetics as a Welsummer, so I don't see why it wouldn't work for a Brown Leghorn as well.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Some....SOME...autosexing can happen in wild type patterns...(chipmunk chicks)...but it is not completely accurate, and can vary greatly line to line.

So there is no positive way of knowing if this is a female. Often...but not always...a solid chipmunk stripe from head to tail is indication of female while a broken stripe is indication of male (lighter with break at neck).

And...40's information is fine. Most of the really good genetic studies were done on poultry in the early part of the 20th century when the ag industry was becoming more industrialized.

However, commercial lines don't breed for conformation and coloring but egg production, which can skew a lot of that information.

LofMc

 

[FuzzyCritters]

I will be selling them to a friend who only wants females, so what should I do?

You can say you think the chicks are pullets, but can't 100% guarantee they wont get a cockerel. Your friend can take them at his/her own risk as long as they know there is a chance they can get a cockerel (but even with sexed hatchery chicks there is a chance of getting a cockerel).

 

[pvchicken1]

You can say you think the chicks are pullets, but can't 100% guarantee they wont get a cockerel. Your friend can take them at his/her own risk as long as they know there is a chance they can get a cockerel (but even with sexed hatchery chicks there is a chance of getting a cockerel).

I hatched this one out from Meyer Hatchery. So it has not been sexed by a professional

 

[FuzzyCritters]

I hatched this one out from Meyer Hatchery. So it has not been sexed by a professional

I know. I was just pointing out that even if they got sexed chicks from a hatchery, they still wouldn't be guaranteed a pullet.

 

[pvchicken1]

I know. I was just pointing out that even if they got sexed chicks from a hatchery, they still wouldn't be guaranteed a pullet.

OK