Barred Rock Gender?

[This_chicks_place]

We picked up some new chicks today and were told these two are pullets and about 2 1/2 weeks old. Now after reading some other posts I am beginning to question their gender. What do you think?


Chick #1




Chick #2

 

[Chick Charm]

I can't tell BR's until about 5-6 weeks. You will have a "lighter" more "silver" overall color to a roo. The hens will tend to be "darker" overall grey.

For photo comparisons type in Barred Rock sexing in the search and you will find pictures that describe what I am saying.

Wish ya the best.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Since they still need to be brooded and care, you will be caring for them until they are 6 weeks old, in any case. Knowing right now isn't a pressing issue, I suspect.

When you're done brooding them at 6 weeks, the difference between cockerels and pullets is fairly obvious. My recommendation is to just wait. At that point, you can judge them with a very high degree of accuracy and decide whether or not you can keep any males, which I suspect is your issue, no?

Here's two photos I like to use. One is our hatchery stock from years ago and the other is our heritage, true bred Barred Rocks. In both cases, the males and females are quite different in appearance. The cockerels will sprout red wattles and their combs will turn pink/red. These are no characteristics associated with the pullets until they are much closer to maturity, ie 14 weeks or more.






I would be quite interested in how the seller came to the conclusion that your two chicks were pullets.

 

[my sunwolf]

They look a little younger than 2.5 weeks. I agree with everyone that it doesn't seem possible to know that they are pullets unless they were vent sexed.

 

[This_chicks_place]

Fred's Hens- Thank You for the pics. I'm reasonably sure these are from a hatchery, but I bought them at a farm stand. They were marked "pullets" so I'm guessing they were sold to them as such. I thought barreds were easy to sex based on color and other markings. My thought was if one or both were roosters then I would take them back. I already have a great rooster, I don't need another.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Well, sex links are the only sure thing at the chicks stage.

I've seen hundreds of BR chicks over the years and I can certainly sex them, above average, as soon as the fuzz dries in the hatcher. You know, vent sexing is only 90%. Head spot sexing is much less, somewhere around 75%. Through experience, you can see the bright white bars of the cockerels at 2 weeks, versus the thinner or spotty bars of the pullets. This is what contributes to the males looking "lighter" and the females looking "darker".

Put it all together and yeah, you can sex them 75% at this age, but that's simply not good enough odds for folks who absolutely don't want a cockerel. Add to this that photography on uploads is risky business too. LOL

All that said? The second one you posted is a cockerel. Dead on. The first one? Risky business. And yes, they are hatchery birds.

So, if you want some Barred Rocks? And who doesn't want some!!! Do your best, sell the rest, at 6 weeks. That'll work. So go get you a few more. That'd be my advice. Not what you expected perhaps, but buying a lot of chicks that are supposedly all pullets is like drawing to an inside straight or betting on 10 number lottery ticket. LOL

 

[This_chicks_place]

Well, sex links are the only sure thing at the chicks stage.

I've seen hundreds of BR chicks over the years and I can certainly sex them, above average, as soon as the fuzz dries in the hatcher. You know, vent sexing is only 90%. Head spot sexing is much less, somewhere around 75%. Through experience, you can see the bright white bars of the cockerels at 2 weeks, versus the thinner or spotty bars of the pullets. This is what contributes to the males looking "lighter" and the females looking "darker".

Put it all together and yeah, you can sex them 75% at this age, but that's simply not good enough odds for folks who absolutely don't want a cockerel. Add to this that photography on uploads is risky business too. LOL

All that said? The second one you posted is a cockerel. Dead on. The first one? Risky business. And yes, they are hatchery birds.

So, if you want some Barred Rocks? And who doesn't want some!!! Do your best, sell the rest, at 6 weeks. That'll work. So go get you a few more. That'd be my advice. Not what you expected perhaps, but buying a lot of chicks that are supposedly all pullets is like drawing to an inside straight or betting on 10 number lottery ticket. LOL

I was hoping you would say the second was a pullet. I'm pretty sure the first is a rooster. He stands and acts like one, even biting my hand every time I open the box....the little bugger. LOL We got a bigger coop and are just trying to increase the size of our flock. We have a broody who just hatched 5 for us but she pushed one away so we brought that one inside and just thought we would get her some friends to add to the coop.. Hopefully we will have better luck with the rest! Thank you for your help.

 

[jadorsey9]

Here is my barred rock cockerel. So much for being a pullet

 

[Fred's Hens]

Here is my barred rock cockerel. So much for being a pullet

It is neither a pullet nor a Barred Rock. It is a black sex link of some kind.

 

[Fred's Hens]

When choosing chicks from a bin somewhere, and pullets are what you are after, choose only the chicks that appear black, no charcoal or dark grey. Avoid any chick with a large splotchy head spot. Better to choose those with virtually no head spot.

Again, none of this is 100%. That kind of accuracy is only available with sex links. But, you will increase your chance greatly. I often tell the folks I mentor to buy 4 if they are after 2, 8 chicks if they are after 4 pullets. That kind of thing. Sell off the cockerels when it becomes obvious what they are. Someone looking for dinner isn't going to pay you a whole bunch for them, just a few bucks, if anything at all, but at least you get what you want and somebody get nice chicken and noodles.