barred rock chick sexing

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Okay, I've searched all over this site and apparently I am not entering the words correctly. I know there is a way to look at barred rock chicks and tell male from female. It has to do with the barring and the dot on their head. Can someone please explain the trick to telling them apart? I want to get some at TSC, but don't want to end up with all males! Pictures of the difference would be great so I know what I'm looking for.

Thanks!

 

[4-H chicken mom]

Barred rock females have a small white spot on the head whereas the males are larger more irregular. But remember this is not always 100%. If you wait a few weeks the males will develop definite barring. Good luck.

 

[Happy Chooks]

BR females will have a clear, defined head spot and they look black in coloring. BR males have a "messy" or less defined head spot and they look more gray. (white mixed in the fluff)

When the feathers come in on the wings, females will have mainly black and males will have mainly white.

Here is a male:

And another male when the feathers come in on the wings:

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

I found a post from Speckled Hen citing Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station as the source: (paraphrasing) males will have larger headspots and the females tend to have darker legs (more dark pigmentation down the front os their legs). Another theory is that the male chicks will have irregularly shaped and/or scattered headspots and the females will have a distinct or more regularly defined spot. Apparently these methods have a 90% to 95% accuracy rate.

Good luck! Hope you can find some girls

 

[Happy Chooks]

I've been trying to find Rareroo's pictures of BR pullets and cockerals. I can't find it in the search though. He has really good pics showing the difference.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Y'all are awesome! Thanks. I tend to always pick boys when left to my own devices. Hopefully I can get all girls this way.

 

[speckledhen]

That sexing is about 90% accurate. Sometimes, they will have conflicting traits. And you must take the head spot, plus the down color (silvery-looking for males, deep black for girls), plus the leg color together to make the call. Not all pullets have dark leg fronts, though most hatchery stock does.

 

[barredrockQnA]

is this rooster or hen??