OK, with all the talk about how great BR are...and the fact that I was able to get 3 little pullets in a swap a few weeks ago, and TOTALLY fell in love with them....I now have hatching....BR babies! So, I think I remember something about the " spot on the head" Boy or girls?? Can someone enlighten me!?
There's a bit of glare on the pic, but it seems like a cockerel's headspot. Cant say for sure though till I see a slightly different picture. The boys have slightly lighter fuzz than the girls, usually.
from what I have noticed on my chicks and read about the bigger the spot and lighter the legs its a boy, the smaller the spot and darker the legs a girl..... Iv'e noticed that in a few of my chicks and I think i'm right about them.... Also read it some where just can't remember where !!!!
Yes, that's generally true. I have been breeding BRs for a couple of years. Had hatchery ones as well. The traits, taken together, smaller more defined headspot, much darker leg fronts, blacker overall appearance, usually equal pullet. Usually! There are exceptions. And there are some that have one trait and not the other and keep you guessing awhile.
Historical Document
Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station
SEX IDENTIFICATION IN PUREBREDS
BARRED PLYMOUTH ROCKS
It had long been recognized that the size of the light head
spots in Barred Plymouth Rocks varied in the two sexes. The
males tend to have larger headspots and the females to have
darker colored legs. However, this method has not been sufficiently
accurate to be of much commercial value.
Quinn and Knox (1939) attempted to separate the sexes of
Barred Plymouth Rocks by means of the intensity of the black
pigment in the down and legs. In different lots of chicks they
report 83.5, 86.1 and 91.8 percent accuracy.
Jerome (1939) describes a method of sex identification in
Barred Plymouth Rocks based upon the regularity of the outline
of the head spot rather than the size of the spot. Those chicks
having headspots irregular in outline and scattered in appearance
are males while the females tend to have headspots with
more regular outlines. The author claimed an accuracy of 90
percent or better when considering only the headspot and 95
percent if the color of the legs was included in the consideration.
The Canadian Department of Agriculture (Anonymous 1941)
issues an excellently illustrated bulletin describing the method.
It is stated in the bulletin that the method is widely practiced
in Barred Rock chicks by commercial chick sexers. Sex identification
is based upon outline of head spot, color of legs and
shade of down color. There are several types of male and female
head spots
Well I hatched my first BR's about 17 wks ago and the only way I knew who was who is when they got older and the roo's started getting lighter. The head spots was just confusing to me.....
Wow, Cyn, thanks! Thats good info to know...and try to apply. I jsut hope I get a roo half as sweet as your Zane. Here is another pic...im guessing cockerell on the left, pullet on the right???
You most likely do have a pair. Im more sure of the cockerel on the left than I am of the pullet on the right, but yep, probably a girl there. Going on headspots plus the one on the left looks a tad lighter overall.
