6x 10 week old chickens - please help me sex them

[ChemKelly]

Thanks so much for your knowledge and skill.

So besides the saddle feathers, please tell me how did you tell? (If you are consciously aware of what you were looking for)

• Comb & wattles - big and red yes? a hens should be much smaller & paler at that age?
• Thicker longer legs?
• General stature - chest out, squarish head?

I will soon post some pics of my other chickens who will be 7 weeks in a few days. Hopefully you can all observe their sex too.

Cheers

 

[ChemKelly]

RE: photo shoot.
Yes, there were around 5 times the quantity of photos originally.
The photo shoot which included catching all the buggers, took 30 minutes (looking at the first and last time stamp on the picassa photos link - photo details)

 

[donrae]

Thanks so much for your knowledge and skill.

So besides the saddle feathers, please tell me how did you tell? (If you are consciously aware of what you were looking for)

• Comb & wattles - big and red yes? a hens should be much smaller & paler at that age?
• Thicker longer legs?
• General stature - chest out, squarish head?

I will soon post some pics of my other chickens who will be 7 weeks in a few days. Hopefully you can all observe their sex too.

Cheers

Combs were the biggie for me, and that's why we always ask age when sexing a bird. If they were, say, 4-5 months old, those combs would be appropriate for a hen. At 10 weeks, they're definate boy sign. Hens won't have hardly any comb at this age, and it will be very pale pink or flesh colored.

Thicker legs, yes, plus just a more gangly appearance. It's hard to spell out, but females just don't look quite as gawky.

Color, for some of them. There are color patterns for males and females. Red or gold leakage on the wing bow is also boy sign.

 

[ChemKelly]

OK, so here are my slightly younger chicks.

8.5 week old

Look like all males except for # 2. What do you think?

 

[BantamLover21]

OK, so here are my slightly younger chicks.

8.5 week old

Look like all males except for # 2. What do you think?

Unfortunately, all of them look like males to me, too.

 

[donrae]

Holy frijoles

! That is a blessed lot of roosters you've hatched out. Guess it's a lot of chicken dinner, huh?

Yep, the little black pullet looks to be your only female.

 

[ChemKelly]

Why is this happening? 8% of my chicks are female so far, should it not be more like 50%!
I had around 5 hens being fertilized by 2 rooster.
My hatch rate is around 60-70%.

Next time around I am going to do some sex links, so I can deal with the boys early!

 

[ChemKelly]

My last batch of 7 chicks that are now 9 weeks old (photos not supplied) - I can confidently say that I have 3 girls in there.
All black coloured too.
Cheers for you help, I feel very confident sexing chicks from around 7 weeks old now.