- Aug 26, 2019
- 33,968
- 324,244
- 1,466
What Breed or Gender is This? NEW improved Sticky!
So you heard the peeping at your local feed store and impulse-bought some babies. Or you bought some hatching eggs of a new breed and hatched the chicks out and arenāt sure what to look for. Donāt worry; weāve all been there before. So what do you do now? You want people with more experience to help you ID your babies or to sex them for you accurately. Here are some essential tips and tricks for creating your post and taking photos to help us help you!
When attempting to help someone identify the breed of chicken, duck, goose, turkey, etc., there are a few things that help us out.
1. Where did you get the birds?
2. Are they from a feed store, hatchery, or breeder?
3. If you bought them from a hatchery, which breeds did you select?
4. If they came from a breeder, what were they supposed to be, and what other breeds/varieties did the seller have?
5. If they were bought at a feed store, what breeds or varieties were listed?
Weāve all heard that pictures are worth a thousand words. We can always help more if there are pictures versus just a verbal description. Hereās a quick guideline on taking some pictures that can be useful in IDing your new babies.
1. If there are multiple breeds or varieties, separate them into groups for their photos or take them singly if there arenāt more than one of each type. Clearly label the image somehow, so we donāt lose track of what chick is the one youāre asking about.
ļø Good examples:
ļø Bad examples:
2. Make sure the bird/s are in focus. This may mean taking many pictures to have some that are clear enough for us to use. No pictures through fencing or bars.
ļø Good example:
ļø Bad examples:
3. Make sure the lighting is good. Usually, a bright room with some natural sunlight is good for photos. Avoid colored lights like yellow incandescent bulbs, red heat lamps, rope lights, etc. The color will photograph poorly and often cast colors on the birds, making IDing very difficult. If all else fails and the weather permits, natural sunlight (full sun, not in the shade) can be helpful.
ļø Good examples:
ļø Bad examples:
4. Donāt hold the bird. Your hand or body may be hiding things we need to see, like the color of the legs or the number of toes.
ļø Yes:
ļø No:
5. More may be better in some cases, but one or two pictures per bird or group will usually suffice with chicks.
When giving feedback on the sex of a bird, one of the first things we need to know is the breed and age. If this information is not in the threadās title, please be sure to include it in the first post. This can allow people with experience with that specific breed or variety to see the post and supply knowledgeable feedback.
Next, most people will look at the birdās comb and wattles in question with chickens. Typically, larger, more developed comb and wattles that are red will indicate the bird is a cockerel. Different combs and birds may develop at different rates, which is why a nice, clear shot of the birdās head showing the comb and wattles is helpful.
Examples:
A good conformation shot, a picture from the side showing the entire bird (no hands holding it or forcing it into an unnatural pose) is excellent. A side shot allows us to see saddle or hackle feathers that could be developing and look at the thickness of the leg and the size of the feet. In most chicken breeds, males have sex-specific feathering and will get pointed hackle and saddle feathers while females remain rounded. Some breeds or varieties with lacing (like Easter Eggers) may appear to be pointed at first, but that may be the color pattern on the feathers. Leg thickness and the size of the feet are also not a sure-fire way of sexing a bird but can be very helpful in selecting outliers compared to other birds of the same breed or variety of the same age. In general, thicker legs and oversized feet indicate a cockerel, while slimmer legs and more delicate feet indicate a pullet.
Examples:
It may also help to get a dorsal view, or a picture from straight above the bird, looking down. This may help get a clear shot of any sex-specific feathering such as saddles, hackles, or even colored wing bows.
Example:
NOTE:
With other poultry species such as ducks, geese, turkeys, or quail, visually sexing them at a young age can be much more difficult. Often, you must wait for verbal clues, behavior, or the development of specific sex-feathering (curly feathers on all Mallard derivative male ducks). Waterfowl can be vent sexed, but only knowledgeable people should attempt this. Turkeys can be accurately sexed by experienced breeders based on the feathering on the back of the neck/head.
A special thanks to all those that contributed to help bring this comprehensive sticky together! @ColtHandorf @EmmaRainboe @TheOddOneOut @The Moonshiner @OneHappyDuckie
So you heard the peeping at your local feed store and impulse-bought some babies. Or you bought some hatching eggs of a new breed and hatched the chicks out and arenāt sure what to look for. Donāt worry; weāve all been there before. So what do you do now? You want people with more experience to help you ID your babies or to sex them for you accurately. Here are some essential tips and tricks for creating your post and taking photos to help us help you!
When attempting to help someone identify the breed of chicken, duck, goose, turkey, etc., there are a few things that help us out.
1. Where did you get the birds?
2. Are they from a feed store, hatchery, or breeder?
3. If you bought them from a hatchery, which breeds did you select?
4. If they came from a breeder, what were they supposed to be, and what other breeds/varieties did the seller have?
5. If they were bought at a feed store, what breeds or varieties were listed?
Weāve all heard that pictures are worth a thousand words. We can always help more if there are pictures versus just a verbal description. Hereās a quick guideline on taking some pictures that can be useful in IDing your new babies.
1. If there are multiple breeds or varieties, separate them into groups for their photos or take them singly if there arenāt more than one of each type. Clearly label the image somehow, so we donāt lose track of what chick is the one youāre asking about.
ļø Good examples:ļø Bad examples:2. Make sure the bird/s are in focus. This may mean taking many pictures to have some that are clear enough for us to use. No pictures through fencing or bars.
ļø Good example:ļø Bad examples:3. Make sure the lighting is good. Usually, a bright room with some natural sunlight is good for photos. Avoid colored lights like yellow incandescent bulbs, red heat lamps, rope lights, etc. The color will photograph poorly and often cast colors on the birds, making IDing very difficult. If all else fails and the weather permits, natural sunlight (full sun, not in the shade) can be helpful.
ļø Good examples:ļø Bad examples:4. Donāt hold the bird. Your hand or body may be hiding things we need to see, like the color of the legs or the number of toes.
ļø Yes:ļø No:5. More may be better in some cases, but one or two pictures per bird or group will usually suffice with chicks.
When giving feedback on the sex of a bird, one of the first things we need to know is the breed and age. If this information is not in the threadās title, please be sure to include it in the first post. This can allow people with experience with that specific breed or variety to see the post and supply knowledgeable feedback.
Next, most people will look at the birdās comb and wattles in question with chickens. Typically, larger, more developed comb and wattles that are red will indicate the bird is a cockerel. Different combs and birds may develop at different rates, which is why a nice, clear shot of the birdās head showing the comb and wattles is helpful.
Examples:
A good conformation shot, a picture from the side showing the entire bird (no hands holding it or forcing it into an unnatural pose) is excellent. A side shot allows us to see saddle or hackle feathers that could be developing and look at the thickness of the leg and the size of the feet. In most chicken breeds, males have sex-specific feathering and will get pointed hackle and saddle feathers while females remain rounded. Some breeds or varieties with lacing (like Easter Eggers) may appear to be pointed at first, but that may be the color pattern on the feathers. Leg thickness and the size of the feet are also not a sure-fire way of sexing a bird but can be very helpful in selecting outliers compared to other birds of the same breed or variety of the same age. In general, thicker legs and oversized feet indicate a cockerel, while slimmer legs and more delicate feet indicate a pullet.
Examples:
It may also help to get a dorsal view, or a picture from straight above the bird, looking down. This may help get a clear shot of any sex-specific feathering such as saddles, hackles, or even colored wing bows.
Example:
NOTE:
With other poultry species such as ducks, geese, turkeys, or quail, visually sexing them at a young age can be much more difficult. Often, you must wait for verbal clues, behavior, or the development of specific sex-feathering (curly feathers on all Mallard derivative male ducks). Waterfowl can be vent sexed, but only knowledgeable people should attempt this. Turkeys can be accurately sexed by experienced breeders based on the feathering on the back of the neck/head.
A special thanks to all those that contributed to help bring this comprehensive sticky together! @ColtHandorf @EmmaRainboe @TheOddOneOut @The Moonshiner @OneHappyDuckie
Last edited:
