BR chick gender...siiigh

[Velvet Hairpiece]

After scouring the forum, I'm pretty sure my little Hot-Mess Henrietta is actually Hot-Mess Henry. I just need someone to tell me so I can call him/her the appropriate name.

The other two BRs have more black on their legs, significantly more feathers (even though one is about half of Hot-Mess's size), and their fluff is more black.

I just wish I would have read about sexing BRs before I got them out of the pullet bin at Orscheln's. Daaaannng.

Any advice for a first time chicken, and therefore roo, owner?

 

[Momagain1]

If I remember correctly; the females have a more "condensed" white/yellowish spot on their head and the roos have a larger, more undefined spot on their head...
ETA: I think also; the females are more "black" fuzziness than the males...the males seem to have a lighter coloring of fuzzy...

Hope I'm remembering correctly...

 

[Velvet Hairpiece]

Yeah, that's exactly what everyone has said on the forum.

Female BRs= condensed, smaller spot on head, black-washed legs, grow feathers faster, and more black

Male BRs=scattered spot(s), lighter fuzz, yellower legs, and slower feather growth

I just need someone to tell me my suspicions are correct.

 

[tarragon]

Quote:
I can't help, but I'm watching this thread because I have 2 barred rocks, one of which has a much more developed comb than the other. They are 4 weeks old, and when I posted pictures everyone said she's a roo. But according to the info you posted above she fits all the pullet signs: dark legs, well defined smaller spot on the head, first to get feathers. And her sister, who has a very tiny comb had a more scattered spot on the head. I'm really, really hoping mine is just a girl with an early comb. Otherwise I have to get rid of her and then I'll only have 3 chickens. I can only have 4, and I don't want to get one single chick to replace her. Good luck to you, I hope it's a girl.

 

[Chickmate]

Quote:
I can't help, but I'm watching this thread because I have 2 barred rocks, one of which has a much more developed comb than the other. They are 4 weeks old, and when I posted pictures everyone said she's a roo. But according to the info you posted above she fits all the pullet signs: dark legs, well defined smaller spot on the head, first to get feathers. And her sister, who has a very tiny comb had a more scattered spot on the head. I'm really, really hoping mine is just a girl with an early comb. Otherwise I have to get rid of her and then I'll only have 3 chickens. I can only have 4, and I don't want to get one single chick to replace her. Good luck to you, I hope it's a girl.

I'm not sure about Velvet's chick, but here is a picture of two of my Barred Rocks at 4 wks. old. The one on the left is a pullet and the one on the right is a roo. See the difference in coloring? The pullets are much darker (have more black) than the roos do and also have darker legs. I couldn't sex mine by the spot on the head. None of them had really defined spots and of my five Barred Rocks, two are roosters, three hens.

Here is a picture of them today at almost 7 wks. old. Again, the two in back are the roosters and the two in front are the hens.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Yup, set them side by side, and at 4 weeks, it is quite obvious with hatchery grade chicks. Here's two of mine I caught sitting side by side.
Look very similar to chickmate's photo's above.

 

[Hhoky]

Oh my, seeing your side by side, age by age pics Chickmate, I think I got mine backwards. Nina is going to be a Nino here soon, and our sweet Professor McCluckles will be Dr Girlfriend instead.
Strange thing is, the Roo was a pick from the mystery roo pen, and the BR was a pullet BR, or so we thought. But now the "roo" looks like your girl, and our BR pullet looks just like your hen.

 

[allpeepedout]

My roo had a very tight symmetrical headspot (supposed to mean pullet) but with a little frosting behind that, and was the darkest black on day 2. Within a few days, his rooness was obvious, especially in legs and behavior. He rapidly feathered out and lightened. Tail was a few days behind girls in development.

If you google up an article on sexing Dominiques, there are some good photos, including a caution against the trap I fell into (tight headspot but with frosting does not mean girl, and was "trap" for the inexperienced). Wish I had payed attention to the scowl on the face of the gal helping me at Rural King when I picked him! He was also the runt.

On my small sample of chicks, I found the blackness of legs is the most important clue. The roo's legs were noticeably more yellow and thicker at 1 week. I realized on picking them out that I focused on headspot, not the wash of black down the front of the legs. He had some black but not as much as my two pullets.

Regarding initial blackness, this experience makes me think of color in horse: the truly blackest foals turn grey, while the silvery foals turn true black. I picked out the blackest day old BR and he quickly greyed out, while the grayer pullets (and I'm only talking a days old) ended up blacker. Just an observation, but I intend to use it next time I pick out BRs from the pullet bin!

 

[sheila3935]

Quote:
If you picked from mystery roo bin you could have a Black Sex Link roo. Mine was very dark had black wash on legs. He was darker than the Barred Rock roo, so for the longest time even though he was getting a red comb I was hoping girl til he crowed. He was sold to me as a Barred Rock. I never could understand why he was darker and when he got older he started getting green in his tail feathers and some gold leaking in his hackles. Posted a pic here and was told BSL.

 

[Velvet Hairpiece]

Here is another picture of Hot-Mess. Boy, Girl? Can anyone tell me definitively? (Or as definitively as you can at this age)