Big metal shed to chicken coop...?

[Pippin quail]

Feather sexing does not work on most chickens.

It only works when someone crosses a fast-feathering rooster to slow-feathering hens.
Where did you get the eggs? Did the seller say anything about sexing? If they didn't say, then it's probably not the right kind of cross.

Good to know! Haha. My husband was quite convinced that it would be accurate based on what they do in large chicken operations where they get rid of the roosters on day 1. But obviously those are bred with that trait purposefully and most of mine are just a backyard mix. So I guess I will not know for awhile which ones are actually pullets vs. cockerels. When can you usually tell? I really hope I don't have a bunch of roosters to get rid of

 

[Pippin quail]

Yes.


Northern or Central or Southern?
Here's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
View attachment 2723822

I'm more central, Edmonton area. I added to my profile

 

[NatJ]

Good to know! Haha. My husband was quite convinced that it would be accurate based on what they do in large chicken operations where they get rid of the roosters on day 1. But obviously those are bred with that trait purposefully and most of mine are just a backyard mix.

Yes, it can be quite accurate when they are bred to have the right genes. But it's unlikely to work with yours.

So I guess I will not know for awhile which ones are actually pullets vs. cockerels. When can you usually tell? I really hope I don't have a bunch of roosters to get rid of

Some males become obvious as young as 3-4 weeks old, because their combs & wattles get much larger and redder as compared with the females.

Many males are obvious by about 8 weeks old, because their combs & wattles are bigger and redder. Some start crowing by this age.

The males eventually get male-specific saddle feathers (narrow with pointy ends, that eventually grow long and hang down on each side of the tail.) Those often start growing around 12 weeks of age, although some people are good at recognizing them as tiny little feathers while others don't notice until the feathers have grown quite long.

Some late-maturing males keep folks guessing until 6 months or more, because they continue to have a small/pale comb, don't grow the saddle feathers until late, and do not start crowing. Males that stay incognito for that long are fairly rare, but they definitely exist.

You can be sure of having a female when she lays an egg. When some chickens have started to lay, you can go examine the vents of them all (the hole that poop & eggs come out of), and see who is laying. The vent will look bigger, more moist, and able to stretch if the bird is laying eggs. It will be smaller and look more dry and puckered up for any chicken that is not laying (chicks, roosters, broody hens, molting hens.) If you look at some that are laying and some that are not, the difference is usually pretty obvious.

Crowing at any age indicates that the bird is probably male. (Hens that crow are fairly rare, although they do exist.)

Some chicken breeds have males and females with different coloring, but I would not count on that with barnyard mixes.

Of course some of those things appear much sooner than others. It's common to have the genders all identified by 8-12 weeks old, although of course there are some that are clear earlier or that keep you guessing for several more months.

 

[Pippin quail]

Yes, it can be quite accurate when they are bred to have the right genes. But it's unlikely to work with yours.



Some males become obvious as young as 3-4 weeks old, because their combs & wattles get much larger and redder as compared with the females.

Many males are obvious by about 8 weeks old, because their combs & wattles are bigger and redder. Some start crowing by this age.

The males eventually get male-specific saddle feathers (narrow with pointy ends, that eventually grow long and hang down on each side of the tail.) Those often start growing around 12 weeks of age, although some people are good at recognizing them as tiny little feathers while others don't notice until the feathers have grown quite long.

Some late-maturing males keep folks guessing until 6 months or more, because they continue to have a small/pale comb, don't grow the saddle feathers until late, and do not start crowing. Males that stay incognito for that long are fairly rare, but they definitely exist.

You can be sure of having a female when she lays an egg. When some chickens have started to lay, you can go examine the vents of them all (the hole that poop & eggs come out of), and see who is laying. The vent will look bigger, more moist, and able to stretch if the bird is laying eggs. It will be smaller and look more dry and puckered up for any chicken that is not laying (chicks, roosters, broody hens, molting hens.) If you look at some that are laying and some that are not, the difference is usually pretty obvious.

Crowing at any age indicates that the bird is probably male. (Hens that crow are fairly rare, although they do exist.)

Some chicken breeds have males and females with different coloring, but I would not count on that with barnyard mixes.

Of course some of those things appear much sooner than others. It's common to have the genders all identified by 8-12 weeks old, although of course there are some that are clear earlier or that keep you guessing for several more months.

Hmm very interesting stuff. I'm curious about some of mine now that were born with fairly defined combs right on day one. We joked that they looked like dinosaurs. Is that more a breed thing at that age? I'm also worried now because some of the ones we were *sure* (laughing at myself now) were females are getting the biggest and reddest combs at 3-4 weeks. But they also happen to be different coloring than the others so could be a breed thing too. I have 5 white chicks (with a few black speckles here and there) 5 purebred lavender orpingtons, 3 black that may be orphingtons or just a mix, and then one brown and one kind of stripey brown one. And I think the two brown ones are biggest and have most developed combs. Roosters are normally bigger, right? (obviously depends on breed if you have a small breed rooster and bigger breed hen) but would that help identify them at all right now or is that just when they're full grown? Sorry my world is upside down now and I think Sally Henny penny might end up becoming Sal Henry. I guess only time will tell!

 

[3KillerBs]

Hmm very interesting stuff. I'm curious about some of mine now that were born with fairly defined combs right on day one. We joked that they looked like dinosaurs. Is that more a breed thing at that age? I'm also worried now because some of the ones we were *sure* (laughing at myself now) were females are getting the biggest and reddest combs at 3-4 weeks. But they also happen to be different coloring than the others so could be a breed thing too. I have 5 white chicks (with a few black speckles here and there) 5 purebred lavender orpingtons, 3 black that may be orphingtons or just a mix, and then one brown and one kind of stripey brown one. And I think the two brown ones are biggest and have most developed combs. Roosters are normally bigger, right? (obviously depends on breed if you have a small breed rooster and bigger breed hen) but would that help identify them at all right now or is that just when they're full grown? Sorry my world is upside down now and I think Sally Henny penny might end up becoming Sal Henry. I guess only time will tell!

Breed makes a big difference.

My California White was in the background of a couple pictures where I was asking about the sex of 2 other chickens and people kept saying "That white one is a boy" -- no she isn't. She was a California White approaching POL and that big comb meant Leghorn blood.

 

[NatJ]

I'm curious about some of mine now that were born with fairly defined combs right on day one. We joked that they looked like dinosaurs. Is that more a breed thing at that age?

Probably a breed thing, if it was there at hatch.

I'm also worried now because some of the ones we were *sure* (laughing at myself now) were females are getting the biggest and reddest combs at 3-4 weeks. But they also happen to be different coloring than the others so could be a breed thing too.

It could go either way.

If you have several with the same coloring, comparing combs among them might be a good way to see differences (same breed or cross, different comb often means different gender.)

I have 5 white chicks (with a few black speckles here and there) 5 purebred lavender orpingtons, 3 black that may be orphingtons or just a mix, and then one brown and one kind of stripey brown one. And I think the two brown ones are biggest and have most developed combs. Roosters are normally bigger, right? (obviously depends on breed if you have a small breed rooster and bigger breed hen)

Yes, males are normally bigger than females, starting when they are fairly young, but that mostly applies when comparing birds of the same breed.

but would that help identify them at all right now or is that just when they're full grown?

You could take pictures and post in the "What Breed or Gender" forum.

If you post a group photo, sometimes people can pick out some of the males & females.
Individual photos of each chick usually work even better.

If you are posting individual photos, try to get a good view of the comb and of the whole chick (often requires two photos, unless the chick is unusually cooperative.)

It also helps if you label the photos, so you don't have folks saying "first photo is male, second is female" when they really show the same chick!

Sorry my world is upside down now

That seems fairly common when keeping chickens. They just like to keep us guessing!

 

[Pippin quail]

Probably a breed thing, if it was there at hatch.



It could go either way.

If you have several with the same coloring, comparing combs among them might be a good way to see differences (same breed or cross, different comb often means different gender.)


Yes, males are normally bigger than females, starting when they are fairly young, but that mostly applies when comparing birds of the same breed.


You could take pictures and post in the "What Breed or Gender" forum.

If you post a group photo, sometimes people can pick out some of the males & females.
Individual photos of each chick usually work even better.

If you are posting individual photos, try to get a good view of the comb and of the whole chick (often requires two photos, unless the chick is unusually cooperative.)

It also helps if you label the photos, so you don't have folks saying "first photo is male, second is female" when they really show the same chick!


That seems fairly common when keeping chickens. They just like to keep us guessing!

Thanks! I also read that the ones who get their tail feathers first (if hatched the same time and of the same breed, presumably) are usually the females. Is that another unreliable myth? Because with mine, the ones we guessed were female based on the wing feathers also happened to get their tail feathers first (and that's comparing them just to the ones of the same breed or coloring) in fact I still have a couple that I assumed were males because of that that still don't have tail feathers when all the ones I *thought* were females have had tail feathers for a week or two. So I'm really curious. I did record everything with what we guessed, just so we could see how accurate we are or aren't once we know for sure. A fun little experiment if nothing else!

 

[NatJ]

Thanks! I also read that the ones who get their tail feathers first (if hatched the same time and of the same breed, presumably) are usually the females. Is that another unreliable myth? Because with mine, the ones we guessed were female based on the wing feathers also happened to get their tail feathers first (and that's comparing them just to the ones of the same breed or coloring)

I wouldn't trust the tail feathers either.

 

[Folly's place]

Your birds won't be feather sexed, so early tail and wing feather development doesn't matter. Pictures, and keep guessing!
Mary

 

[Pippin quail]

Breed makes a big difference.

My California White was in the background of a couple pictures where I was asking about the sex of 2 other chickens and people kept saying "That white one is a boy" -- no she isn't. She was a California White approaching POL and that big comb meant Leghorn blood.

I know the lady I got backyard mix eggs from definitely had white leghorns. And I ended up with 5 white in the mix. One in particular of those looks like a rooster by its comb but was like that on day one, so who knows!