General earliest age to sex chicks confidently

[technolaser]

Hi everyone,

I know that it's breed specific, but roughly at what age should a skilled person be able to tell the sex of a chick with almost certainty?

Last time I got a bunch of 2/3 week old chicks from a breeder almost 1/3 turned out to be cockerels and I'd like to avoid this in future if possible. This was a mix of Braekel, Orpington, Legbar, Brahma, and Marans.

TIA.

 

[JedJackson]

It can vary a great deal between individuals, and also breeds, so there is no easy answer to this. I'd say 10 to 12 weeks should be good for most, selecting birds with small, pale combs and little to no wattle growth as your females. Marans would be earlier, 6 or 7 weeks, because males of that breed tend to show comb growth early. Legbars, possibly even earlier, because males and females will have different coloring-- these can usually be sexed as chicks. Silkies, forgetaboutit! Often it's when they lay or crow.

 

[technolaser]

Thanks very much!