Any clue on the breed and gender of these babies? We can't have roosters in our neighborhood!

[ealevkowitz]

Are these male or female and what breed? They are 8 days old. They were given to us by friends. Help! Thank you!

 

[Fred's Hens]

OK, just take a breath. The old wive's tales are not reliable, of course.

When you get chicks that are not sexed or bred true? Patience. 90% of the breeds will show their sex, but not until 6-7 weeks of age. An experienced eye can sometimes see the combs growing earlier, but by 6 weeks, the males will sprout little pink combs and if you look along the lower beak area, a reddish streak of flesh will begin to appear. Regardless of breed, at 6-7 weeks, the cockerels begin to sprout secondary sex characteristics, which for them means combs and wattles. At that period, the pullets, the females, will not. The pullet combs will remain yellowish in color, small and no wattles will sprout under the rear of the beak.

The pullets won't show their combs and wattles until they are closer to maturity, sometime around 15 weeks or more.

This simply means that you should enjoy the chicks, but be prepared to look for those early combs and wattles at 6 weeks. By 7-8 weeks, it will be very obvious and you will have to begin to make plans for cockerels. It isn't always easy to find places for cockerels.

Here are a couple of pictures that demonstrate how cockerels show combs/wattles early, but the pullets do not.

 

[hdowden]

they are to young to really tell anything for sure. could be pure could be mixes and gender can go either way

 

[ealevkowitz]

At what age can you start to tell?

 

[Bogtown Chick]

I'm taking a shot here. Either dominique or barred rock (maybe one of each) barred in the front and dominque in the back. If your friends got them from a hatchery I think sometimes they don't care if there's a mix up in the breeding pens. (Because I know our hatchery birds for their indicated breed should look different!) Either way I think you'll have some black and white striped birds of some sort. (little white dot on the back of the head seems to be the indicator of that.) As the comb develops you'll be able to see if it's dominique or barred rock as they have different comb types. Given the tail feathers and wing feathers on that little one in the front I'm going to say pullet on her. and can't tell much on the one in the back there. Their carriage seems to be more flat backed too...indicating pullets. Boys more upright in their carriage. Bigger feet is an indication of cockerels too. however if you don't have one of each it will be hard to compare, obviously.

Whatever you get enjoy, that's the main thing. They are lovely and darling.

 

[alaska chickens]

I was told by an experienced chicken grower, that if you pick up the chick buy the neck with two fingers, like a carving fork, and lift. if the chick tucks up their feet they are hens. Worked with me. My chicks were 2-3 days old though. good luck

 

[Time-Out]

They both look to have single combs.