Anyone want to play guess that chick?

[SwampPrincessChick]

So, at 5 weeks, 2 days, I feel like I can say pretty confidently that you guys who said all cockerels except #4 were right! #2 has been trying to crow (a bit pathetically but still). And I swear #3 does everything possible to get Sparrow (#4) on an end of the roost so he can be the only one to snuggle up to her. And then he pecks at the other ones if they come near. Here are some updated pictures...

It seems like I was correct, then! Your cockerels look beautiful so far.

 

[Indigopearl]

It seems like I was correct, then! Your cockerels look beautiful so far.

I'm pretty amazed that you could tell with that level of accuracy at just over 2 weeks! The cockerels are so lovely- I wish we could keep them. We have 7 more chicks which are going on 2 weeks old so I'm really hopeful that we'll have a total of 4 girls when all is said and done!

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

I'm pretty amazed that you could tell with that level of accuracy at just over 2 weeks! The cockerels are so lovely- I wish we could keep them. We have 7 more chicks which are going on 2 weeks old so I'm really hopeful that we'll have a total of 4 girls when all is said and done!

I have only studied chickens for one year, but I have had them for six years. It didn't take long at all for me to learn how to sex chickens－it was one of the easiest things I have learned about! It does take time, but it's easy, and you can learn it fast once you have the knowledge.

 

[Indigopearl]

I have only studied chickens for one year, but I have had them for six years. It didn't take long at all for me to learn how to sex chickens－it was one of the easiest things I have learned about! It does take time, but it's easy, and you can learn it fast once you have the knowledge.

What is the main thing you look for to make your determination- mostly the growth rate and color of the combs??

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

What is the main thing you look for to make your determination- mostly the growth rate and color of the combs??

There are multiple factors that help me in sexing a chick, both when they are young and when they have grown to the average sexing age of six weeks. Note that there are slow-maturing breeds that you can only sex at approximately sixteen weeks old.

This chart below is a good reference for beginners on how to sex chickens.

Comb: The comb is usually the first way that a person sexes a young chick. Cockerels will have much more comb develop than their female counterparts at a young age, even as early as one week. At just about three days old, I was able to sex my Blue Cochin Bantam cockerel. Sometimes, especially in slower-maturing breeds, the cockerel will have an equal amount of comb growth, but his comb will be more reddened than the pullet's.

Leg Size: Leg size is usually the second way I can sex a chick at a young age. Cockerels will have much larger legs than the pullets, although it might be hard to tell first. I have found that the leg size starts to become obvious at about two or three weeks.

Growth Level: Cockerels, contrary to popular belief, often feather out more slowly than the pullets. In a brooder full of chicks that are a few weeks old, I can pick out who is most likely to be a cockerel by how much down fluff they still have. The cockerels will have much less grown feathers than the pullets at first, although they will soon catch up to them in feathering when they hit the six week mark, in which also the cockerel becomes larger than the pullet.

Tail Growth & Sickles: As above stated, pullets will develop their feathers faster than their male counterparts. That being said, you can assume that young pullets will have more tail growth than the cockerels, and you are correct. At about one or two weeks, you will begin to see the pullets growing a more developed tail, one that sticks straight out. As opposed to this, cockerels of the same age will often either have what appears to be no tail at all, or a few soft plumes of downward-facing feathers. The latter is what will eventually grow into sickles, which are a male-specific feather type. Sickles are the downward-curving feathers that come from the base of the tail, where the saddles can be found, and stretch all the way to finally hang down over the tail's end. Note that sickles only become apparent at about twelve weeks of age, and that they are not the actual tail. Sickles only hang over the male's tail, covering it from view. Also, a pullet, typically of the Easter Egger breed, will sometimes be found with a feather or two that appear to be sickles, but are not.

Wattles: I have personally found sexing chicks by their wattles' growth alone to not be very reliable. Often times, a cockerel will only start most of his wattle growth after he develops his comb, making comb sexing a better and easier way. I suggest to pay attention to the comb first and then the wattles second. Most of the time, the pullets will have quicker wattle development than the cockerels because they spend less of their energy growing their comb, although this varies largely from breeds.

Hackle Shape: Male chickens will develop pointed hackles in comparison to the rounded hackles that female chickens will grow. Hackle shape is a much more reliable way of sexing when the bird is young, compared to when they are adults or around that age. I have seen a multitude of beginner chicken-keepers believe their hen is a rooster because of her hackle shape. Hens do have slightly pointed hackles, but a female's hackles are much shorter than the rooster's thin, long pointed hackles. At about twelve weeks in average-maturing breeds, cockerels and pullets will have more apparent difference in their hackle shape.

Saddle Shape: Alike to the hackle feathers, only the males will have pointed saddles and only the females will have rounded saddles. One thing that is different about the saddle feathers in comparison to the hackle feathers is that hens will never have slightly rounded saddles. Female chickens will always have saddle feathers that are completely round. The difference of saddle shape between cockerels and pullets will start developing at about twelve weeks of age in average-maturing breeds.

Spurs: All chickens have spurs, whether they are female or male. Although, a cockerel will have more spur growth than a pullet of the same age. Spurs start out as spur nubs, only a singular bump on each leg, and develop as the chicken ages. The older a chicken is, the longer his or her spurs will become. A cockerel's spurs only start to majorly grow when he has became a rooster. Hens are capable of having long spurs that reach the length of a rooster's if she has hormone problems (in which she will also begin to crow), although that is rare.

And there you have it, all of the normal ways you can sex a chick when you do not purchase an autosexing, sex-linked, or hen-feathered breed.

 

[Indigopearl]

Thank you so much!

 

[Indigopearl]

There are multiple factors that help me in sexing a chick, both when they are young and when they have grown to the average sexing age of six weeks. Note that there are slow-maturing breeds that you can only sex at approximately sixteen weeks old.

This chart below is a good reference for beginners on how to sex chickens.
View attachment 3600991

Comb: The comb is usually the first way that a person sexes a young chick. Cockerels will have much more comb develop than their female counterparts at a young age, even as early as one week. At just about three days old, I was able to sex my Blue Cochin Bantam cockerel. Sometimes, especially in slower-maturing breeds, the cockerel will have an equal amount of comb growth, but his comb will be more reddened than the pullet's.

Leg Size: Leg size is usually the second way I can sex a chick at a young age. Cockerels will have much larger legs than the pullets, although it might be hard to tell first. I have found that the leg size starts to become obvious at about two or three weeks.

Growth Level: Cockerels, contrary to popular belief, often feather out more slowly than the pullets. In a brooder full of chicks that are a few weeks old, I can pick out who is most likely to be a cockerel by how much down fluff they still have. The cockerels will have much less grown feathers than the pullets at first, although they will soon catch up to them in feathering when they hit the six week mark, in which also the cockerel becomes larger than the pullet.

Tail Growth & Sickles: As above stated, pullets will develop their feathers faster than their male counterparts. That being said, you can assume that young pullets will have more tail growth than the cockerels, and you are correct. At about one or two weeks, you will begin to see the pullets growing a more developed tail, one that sticks straight out. As opposed to this, cockerels of the same age will often either have what appears to be no tail at all, or a few soft plumes of downward-facing feathers. The latter is what will eventually grow into sickles, which are a male-specific feather type. Sickles are the downward-curving feathers that come from the base of the tail, where the saddles can be found, and stretch all the way to finally hang down over the tail's end. Note that sickles only become apparent at about twelve weeks of age, and that they are not the actual tail. Sickles only hang over the male's tail, covering it from view. Also, a pullet, typically of the Easter Egger breed, will sometimes be found with a feather or two that appear to be sickles, but are not.

Wattles: I have personally found sexing chicks by their wattles' growth alone to not be very reliable. Often times, a cockerel will only start most of his wattle growth after he develops his comb, making comb sexing a better and easier way. I suggest to pay attention to the comb first and then the wattles second. Most of the time, the pullets will have quicker wattle development than the cockerels because they spend less of their energy growing their comb, although this varies largely from breeds.

Hackle Shape: Male chickens will develop pointed hackles in comparison to the rounded hackles that female chickens will grow. Hackle shape is a much more reliable way of sexing when the bird is young, compared to when they are adults or around that age. I have seen a multitude of beginner chicken-keepers believe their hen is a rooster because of her hackle shape. Hens do have slightly pointed hackles, but a female's hackles are much shorter than the rooster's thin, long pointed hackles. At about twelve weeks in average-maturing breeds, cockerels and pullets will have more apparent difference in their hackle shape.

Saddle Shape: Alike to the hackle feathers, only the males will have pointed saddles and only the females will have rounded saddles. One thing that is different about the saddle feathers in comparison to the hackle feathers is that hens will never have slightly rounded saddles. Female chickens will always have saddle feathers that are completely round. The difference of saddle shape between cockerels and pullets will start developing at about twelve weeks of age in average-maturing breeds.

Spurs: All chickens have spurs, whether they are female or male. Although, a cockerel will have more spur growth than a pullet of the same age. Spurs start out as spur nubs, only a singular bump on each leg, and develop as the chicken ages. The older a chicken is, the longer his or her spurs will become. A cockerel's spurs only start to majorly grow when he has became a rooster. Hens are capable of having long spurs that reach the length of a rooster's if she has hormone problems (in which she will also begin to crow), although that is rare.

And there you have it, all of the normal ways you can sex a chick when you do not purchase an autosexing, sex-linked, or hen-feathered breed.

This is extremely helpful. I especially appreciate that you included the picture with all the parts labeled so that when I inevitably forgot what hackles were (again), I could easily reference it.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

This is extremely helpful. I especially appreciate that you included the picture with all the parts labeled so that when I inevitably forgot what hackles were (again), I could easily reference it.

You're welcome! I am glad to share my information with others.