Can chicks be sexed at 2 weeks?

[venymae]

I hatched some chicks out for my father on Halloween. He insists that 5 of the 9 are male. His reason being the 5 act like roos in how they poof at each other, and they are getting waddles.
Breeds are RIR Cock x RIR/Plymouth Rock/Black Sex Link Hens

It makes sense with the numbers 5/4 but I was curious what others think!

 

[lilmillefleur]

2 weeks is a bit too young. You should be able to tell better by 4 weeks, at least.

 

[Perry17]

I worked at a feed store in highschool, and the old farmers would walk in and pick out all the pullets from a group of day old chicks. So the employees had to start picking the chicks randomly lol.

I feel like I can pick them out, or at least have a good guess when they are bittys.

There are a hundred different ways that people swear by, and some I have found actually work most of the time. But I wouldn't confirm it or anything at that age, I still wait until they get their feathers in before I am 100% sure.

 

[azygous]

It wouldn't surprise me that your father has developed an "eye" for cockerel behavior and appearance. So, yes, it's possible to get some pretty good guesses in at two weeks.

I'll go you one better. Start watching the color of the combs very carefully. The cockerels' combs, besides starting to become more prominent, will be picking up a yellow color. If you doubt what you're seeing is yellow, it helps to hold something purple behind the comb as you look at it. That will cause any yellow to really pop out. This will gradually become more yellow-orange, then orange, then red-orange, until at age six weeks, comb and wattles will be a definite red.

The pullets will have no yellow to their combs, and they will be barely discernible. They also won't have any obvious wattles while the boys will be sporting them. Pullets won't get any red in their combs until point of lay.

 

[venymae]

It wouldn't surprise me that your father has developed an "eye" for cockerel behavior and appearance...They also won't have any obvious wattles while the boys will be sporting them. ...

Well, dad says they do have wattles. Drat.

 

[BYC910]

Really some breeds are harder than others to tell . But a well trained eye can spot one in a heart beat . In other words dad ain't no dummy

 

[pasuit]

I hatched some chicks out for my father on Halloween. He insists that 5 of the 9 are male. His reason being the 5 act like roos in how they poof at each other, and they are getting waddles.
Breeds are RIR Cock x RIR/Plymouth Rock/Black Sex Link Hens

It makes sense with the numbers 5/4 but I was curious what others think!

 

[pasuit]

Hatcheries sex them through the vent. I have used this method and it was about a 90% correct. (I DON'T USE THIS METHOD ANYMORE BECAUSE THE CHICKS ARE VERY SMALL AND IF NOT DONE CAREFULLY YOU CAN INJURE THE CHICK. IT IS BETTER TO WAIT.) (It is, however, possible that your father is right. Especially if he has a lot of experience with poultry.)

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Hatcheries sex them through the vent. I have used this method and it was about a 90% correct. (I DON'T USE THIS METHOD ANYMORE BECAUSE THE CHICKS ARE VERY SMALL AND IF NOT DONE CAREFULLY YOU CAN INJURE THE CHICK. IT IS BETTER TO WAIT.)

I personally don't mind waiting.
"Life is like a box of chocolates"

 

[venymae]

I personally don't mind waiting.
"Life is like a box of chocolates"

I have been inspired to try vent sexing!! Gonna practice on my next hatch! Can you vent sex older birds???