Can you even sex 4 week old chicks?

[SkyWarrior]

Okay, this is probably a stupid question. When I bought my BOs, the breeder told me all except one in her batch were pullets. I asked her how she knew and she claimed that the comb was different and slightly red. She also told me that EEs were Ameraucanas, but that's a rant for another day.

Rather than argue, I picked out birds with the short/nonexistent combs and whose few hackle feathers looked rounded. But I could've gotten cockerels for all I know.

My question to you is she right about being able to determine the sex of the BOs at this early stage? I thought that straight run were all pretty equal in sex and you have a 50/50 chance.

Have I screwed myself over? They're might cute chicks.

 

[SpringChickens]

To an extent you can tell sex at an early age. I bought 4 BO "pullets" from Ideal - 6 weeks old now and one of them is DEFINITELY a male. Other breeds it can be a lot harder to tell (ex. EEs, silkies, etc.). It also depends on the individual to an extent.

 

[dldavis34]

I had the same thing this time and also last year one turned out to be a male. The only was I figured it out was the red comb grew out a lot faster than the other chicks and it started make different sounds.

 

[gritsar]

I'm sexing my three week old chicks as the days go by. It's just obvious to me for some reason. My turken cockerel has been extremely obvious since he was about two weeks old. He was sexed as a pullet at the hatchery.
I correctly sexed my brahmas when they were chicks, by five weeks old, but having all one breed made it easier.

 

[SkyWarrior]

Okay, so it is possible? What do you look for?

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I posted this in a thread yesterday but can't find it today to refer you to, so...

According to UC Davis Veterinary Care Program.
2. Physical Characteristics (4-6 weeks of age)
a. Comb – The cockerels comb is medium size and pinkish, the pullets is small and yellowish.
b. Legs – The cockerel’s legs are sturdy and long, the pullets are finer and shorter.
c. Tail – The cockerel’s tail is stumpy and curved, the pullets is longer and straight.
d. Back – The cockerel has a thin line of stub feathers down the center of his back, the pullet has more advanced feathering along the center of her back.
e. Side of neck, flank and crop – The feathering in the cockerel in these areas is poorly advanced, the pullets feathering in these areas is well advanced.
f. Wing bows – In the cockerel the wing bows are bare, in pullets the wing bows are covered with small feathers.

 

[SkyWarrior]

Quote:
I posted this in a thread yesterday but can't find it today to refer you to, so...

According to UC Davis Veterinary Care Program.
2. Physical Characteristics (4-6 weeks of age)
a. Comb – The cockerels comb is medium size and pinkish, the pullets is small and yellowish.
b. Legs – The cockerel’s legs are sturdy and long, the pullets are finer and shorter.
c. Tail – The cockerel’s tail is stumpy and curved, the pullets is longer and straight.
d. Back – The cockerel has a thin line of stub feathers down the center of his back, the pullet has more advanced feathering along the center of her back.
e. Side of neck, flank and crop – The feathering in the cockerel in these areas is poorly advanced, the pullets feathering in these areas is well advanced.
f. Wing bows – In the cockerel the wing bows are bare, in pullets the wing bows are covered with small feathers.

I'll look at them tomorrow, but I suspect that I have pullets. I chose small and yellowish combs and I seem to recall that the feathering alongside of the neck, flank and crop are advanced. I also recall the wing bows being covered.

 

[sharol]

Would this only apply to BO's? I'm a complete novice with chickens (if widely read), and I apologize if this is a stupid question.

Quote:
I posted this in a thread yesterday but can't find it today to refer you to, so...

According to UC Davis Veterinary Care Program.
2. Physical Characteristics (4-6 weeks of age)
a. Comb – The cockerels comb is medium size and pinkish, the pullets is small and yellowish.
b. Legs – The cockerel’s legs are sturdy and long, the pullets are finer and shorter.
c. Tail – The cockerel’s tail is stumpy and curved, the pullets is longer and straight.
d. Back – The cockerel has a thin line of stub feathers down the center of his back, the pullet has more advanced feathering along the center of her back.
e. Side of neck, flank and crop – The feathering in the cockerel in these areas is poorly advanced, the pullets feathering in these areas is well advanced.
f. Wing bows – In the cockerel the wing bows are bare, in pullets the wing bows are covered with small feathers.

 

[SpringChickens]

Some of the traits are more breed specific than others (i.e feathering), but these are all primarily true for all breeds.

 

[gritsar]

What SpringChickens said. I used it with 100% accuracy on my brahmas. I'm now using it on my EEs (no doubt, two pullets), my turkens (opps, one cockerel), SS (two pullets), salmon faverolles (still unsure), and cornish Xs (two cockerels and a whole lotta pullets). Used it too on the silkies, but figured them out another way.