Please help sex these 6 week old chicks (RIR, EE, BR, and L Brahma)

Date sort Score sort
Beckyhsinglsc

Beckyhsinglsc

Songster
10 Years
Oct 21, 2009
1,153
86
196
Gilbert, AZ
My Coop
My Coop
I've been waiting patiently (OK, not so patiently) for our chicks to hit the 6 wk mark to post them here. (sexed as pullets at the feed store)
I've been reading a lot on BYC and I think I have some of them figured out but I would really like help from the experts.
If you have time to add comments about why you think one way or another, It'll help me in the future. Thanks!


For answering convenience...

RIR #1
RIR #2
RSL #1
RSL #2
EE #1
EE #2
LBR #1
LBR #2
BR #1
BR #2

(Of the four reds, 2 are supposed to be RIR and 2 are supposed to be RSL. I'm not 100% sure which are which, though so I listed them all.
The ones grouped together are the same. The ones I have labeled as RIR are smaller, a bit darker, and have more red on their beaks.)


43310_2009_chicks_at_6_weeks_rir_rsl.jpg


43310_2009_chicks_at_6_weeks_ee_lbr.jpg


43310_2009_chicks_at_6_weeks_br.jpg
 
Very good pictures! Can you make the side and back pictures bigger, by any chance?

Let's see....

Do all of your red chicks have black tail feathers? I'm not sure any of those are RSL's....

RIR #1 Pullet (Because of small comb and lack of wattles)
RIR #2 Pullet (Because of small comb and lack of wattles)
RSL #1 Probably pullet (Because of relatively small comb – can you see the wattles yet?)
RSL #2 Pullet (Because of small comb and lack of wattles)
EE #1 I'm not sure (The comb looks a tad red, but not that much)
EE #2 Probably pullet (The comb is quite small, and only slightly red)
LBR #1 Might be a cockerel (The comb looks quite red)
LBR #2 Probably pullet (The comb is a little red, but not too much)
BR #1 Most likely pullet (The patterning of the barring looks mostly girlish, and the legs are quite dark)
BR #2 Pullet (Girlish barring patterning, dark legs, small comb)
 
I agree with WordGirl - I don't think you have an RSLs - all 4 red chickens look like RIR/Production red pullets to me. RSLs should have some white feathering also.

Your EEs are both pullets - typical female EE coloring and the combs are small.

BRs are pullets too.

I also agree with WordGirl about the LBs sex - #1 does have a red comb and might be a cockerel - do you see any wattles yet?
#2 maybe a pullet - larger pics would help. My LB pullet is 8 weeks old and still has a very small, light comb, while my LB roo was pretty obvious. I'll see if I can find pics of mine at this age for you.
 
The pics below are of chicks 1 week older than yours - I don't have any pics of them at 6 weeks old.

My LB pullet at 7 weeks of age with a very pale comb- not the best pic, but I was actually trying to photograph the frizzle
Frizzle006.jpg


My LB cockerel at 7 weeks of age - comb was a little larger, definitely darker, and the wattles were just starting to redden & grow
newBRs-EEs007-1.jpg


newBRs-EEs006.jpg
 
Ok,
Here are more pictures of the chicks in question...

The "RSL" #1
43310_dsc_0116.jpg

43310_dsc_0118.jpg


A different view of EE#1's comb. This is one of the ones I was nervous about because the comb is wider. (looks like 3 lines)
If this is a typical coloring for a pullet, what does the male coloring look like?
43310_dsc_0132.jpg



Another view of LB #1.
With my limited experience, this one looks like a roo to me
His name is poopy because he had pasty but so much the first week
smile.png

He grew slower and his feathers came in slower than the other LB and he just acts, well, poopy.
43310_2009_chicks_at_6_weeks_lb_close_up.jpg


edited to say... LB#2's comb doesn't actually look this dark in person. It must be the lighting.

Thanks for your help!
 
Last edited:
I hate to give my opinion sometimes. Looks like in the first of the new pics the one on the left is a cockerel. Also the one in the pic below a cockerel. The next set looks like the one on the left has a comb that is reddening for the easter egger. The last set looks to be a reddening comb too. I am usually pretty good with looking at combs but not always spot on. If it helps any my easter egger cockerels feathers developed way slower than the pullets.
 
Well... your RSLs still look like RIR/PRs - RSLs are crosses and have red & white feathers. The chick in the lower pic looks like it has a larger comb (looks larger in the side view than the front view) now, it looks more like a cockerel to me. Six weeks is still kind of hard to tell with some chicks - by 8 weeks the males should be much easier to distinguish.
This is my 7-8 week old PR pullet:
19548_white_leghorns.jpg


I think the LB on the left is probably a boy - I'm pretty sure the one on the right is a pullet - you should know for sure in a couple of weeks - the difference will be even more striking if they are different sexes.

In hatchery EEs, the chickens with the leghorn/welsummer pullet coloring/pattern (not sure of the name) are pullets. Not all EEs can be sexed by their feather coloring/patterning, but some can. The chick on the left looks like a pullet - don't worry about her comb. I had a couple pullets with the 3-row pea comb too.

The 2 center chicks are EEs and have the type of pullet coloring I was talking about:
19548_cake_decorating_011.jpg


The 7-8 week old EE pullet laying down in this pic has very typical pullet coloring while the pullet standing up does not. She had me guessing - she was larger than the others, different feathering, and had the wider 3-row comb - she is now a very pretty hen (more pics of my first 3 EEs are on my BYC page).
19548_chickens_008.jpg
 
I agree that your red birds are all RIR/production reds, not rsl. The one light brahma does look like a cockeral but the rest are pullets.
 
Thank you all!
I'm excited that you all came to about the same conclusion as I did. That means I'm learning something from BYC!
big_smile.png

The consensus seems to be 1 roo and 1 or 2 to watch.
I'll sure know a lot more next time I pick out chicks!

The reds are interesting. The feed store told me that 2 were RIR and 2 were RSL. They were in different brooders when I got them.
The 2 pairs are a little different. (I will continue to refer to them as RIR and RSL to differentiate for now, but I understand they probably aren't RSLs)
The "RIR" are smaller, a little darker and have less black in their tails.
The "RSL" are larger, slightly lighter in color and the red doesn't come down all the way to the end of the beak like it does in the other pair. Also the "RSL" had dark stripes on the back of their heads before feathers and the"RIR" didn't.
It will be interesting to see what happens as they grow. At least they are all pullets (probably) and are red "somethings" that will lay lots of eggs!

Is it possible that 2 are actual RIRs and 2 are production reds? They came from either Ideal or Redwing.



In answer to your questions/comments...


Do all of your red chicks have black tail feathers? I'm not sure any of those are RSL's....
Answered above, but yes. The "RSL"s have a little more than the "RIR" but that may be because they are growing bigger/faster.

If it helps any my easter egger cockerels feathers developed way slower than the pullets.
EE#1 was actually the first out of the whole batch to get significant wing feathers. Maybe a good sign!


RSL #1 Probably pullet (Because of relatively small comb – can you see the wattles yet?)
The wattles look exactly like the wattles on the other reds.


I also agree with WordGirl about the LBs sex - #1 does have a red comb and might be a cockerel - do you see any wattles yet?
Yes. Definitely has more wattle than the other LB and it's comb has 3 lines instead of 1 that the other LB has. It has been red for quite awhile too. "He" also developed feathers slower than all of the others. "He's" also bossy and squawky in his sweet way. "He's" one of my favorites.
hmm.png


Six weeks is still kind of hard to tell with some chicks - by 8 weeks the males should be much easier to distinguish.
How about if I post pictures of the questionable chicks in a couple of weeks?
In the mean time... Anyone in AZ need a LB rooster?
wink.png
I'm not allowed any roosters and we'd like him to go to a good home.
 
I didn't even notice you were in AZ (so am I). I rehomed my roo on craigslist. I had him listed for $8. While holding him for someone in Maricopa, I had another person (also in Maricopa) offer me $20. I had to say no, because I had already promised him to someone else, but I don't think you will have any trouble finding him a home.
 

Similar threads

ella2025
    • Like
New RIR chick - hen or roo!
2
Replies
14
Views
994
ella2025
ella2025
ChickenMamaRNx6
    • Like
Black sex-links? Maybe? Pullets?
Replies
8
Views
1K
ChickenMamaRNx6
ChickenMamaRNx6
B
Olive Egger Sexing Help
2
Replies
15
Views
1K
jennsanders74
J
ChickenMamaRNx6
    • Like
Plymouth Barred Rock hen or roo?
2 3 4
Replies
32
Views
3K
ChickenMamaRNx6
ChickenMamaRNx6
K
Australorp Cross Barred Rock Sex-Linked Chicks
Replies
6
Views
915
Kuroodia
K

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom