boy or girl?

[trudyg]

I have12 straight run heavy birds. Some I know for certrain are cockerels--they have the feathering and have started crowing (15 weeks old). I have several that I assume are pullets--no color to the comb and no prominent feathering. I also have several who I think are cockerels because they have the crooked/feathery tail feathers but no comb development and no saddle or hackle feathers to speak of. My question: do pullets sometimes have a crooked tail? Not feathery bunch but just one or 2 crooked tail feathers. I'd swear they are girls but for the tail. I'm fixing to butcher the boys soon and don't want to get a girl by mistake. I can wait for another month or so, so no big deal either way but I'm just curious

 

[Lozuufy]

Could you post a picture? That would help, but it sounds like they are females. Some do have crooked tail feathers, I've noticed especially that easter egger females often have them. If they have rounded saddle feathers they are female

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I can usually tell boys from girls by the comb color, hens are orange until they start to reach sexual maturity, roosters are pink or red.

 

[UlmerChickens]

This way to tell if it is a boy or a girl is not perfect, but it is a highly educated guess.
here is what you do, you can hold the chicken on its back.
If it starts kicking, then it is most likely a boy because boys tend to like to fight back.
If it kicks just a little or not at all it is most likely to be a girl.
You can also tell whether it is a boy or girl with a different method.
You can hold it by the back of the neck like a cat would do to its chicken.
And the results of the first one apply.
Hope this helps!

 

[donrae]

At 15 weeks we should be able to help you sex them if you post a pic.

 

[trudyg]

I'll get pics when I can. We're having bad storms right now, had Christmas with the grands today so that'll have to wait.Also, I've lost 2 to hawks so I've been busy trying to watch the sky. Grr,,,just got over the owl problem.

 

[Farmer Fayne]

I will have to try this, thanks.....

 

[trudyg]

First off, it is a myth that you can tell sex by holding them in a certain way. I've seen females who act like males even after starting to lay. Anyway, we're finally getting drier here and I was able to get some pictures. All are between 15-16 weeks old. Here goes:



In this, #1, I'm curious about the speckled one in the foreground.


#2, the same speckled and the one to the right.

# 3 is the same speckled and black but a different view.


#4, I think both are girls.

#5 is my Polish. Pretty sure he's a boy--and, wow, is he peckish. He's going in the pot when I butcher, pain in the ***.


#6. I'm curious about the black one where you don't see a head, the brown on with the less-red comb, and the white one.


#7 is my little red hen, but those tail feathers have me wondering. Also, lately she's been running at me from behind and pecking my boots. The boots have polka-dots on them, so I think she's going after the dots but, then again, she'll be right on my heels. If I stop short she runs into me. Not attacking me, but I'm afraid I'll step on her. If she's not a she then she'll be on the list.


#8 is my golden (buff orp?) that I'm thinking is a boy, the same white and black ones as in previous pictures.

Any opinions as to breed and sex is appreciated. I am starting to 'see' differences in the neck feathering, but my eyes aren't so good and, by the time my eyes focus, the bird has moved. So, I can't really see much neck feathering on the black and white other than the tail. The birds I have that are different colors (such as my black birds with green sheen and some brown) there's enough contrast that I could tell hackles and saddles pretty quick.
These are all dual purpose that I got for meat and, hopefully, some females to build a flock. The cuckoo marans in #1 and the naked neck in # 6 are the males I plan to keep and then choose between them. The cuckoo is crowing and he moved himself into the big girls coop several weeks ago. As always, if one becomes a pain or my grands are scared of them, they'll go pdq. Thanks to all of you and have a Happy New Year.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

I can usually tell boys from girls by the comb color, hens are orange until they start to reach sexual maturity, roosters are pink or red.

You can't count on that.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

All the pictures I seeareof females