help to identify a chick or rooster @ 2 weeks

[chickmum]

Hello,
I am new to this world of chickens. So new that I haven't even got the chicks yet! My daughter has a henny penny program running in her preschool at the moment and we have committed to getting 4 at the end. We are currently preparing our backyard for their arrival next week.
My question regards picking the sex of the chicks at such a young age (1-2 weeks). We (and our neighbours, I am sure!) would prefer females but as they are all yellow and fluffy it is hard to determine their sex.
I recall an episode of "Friends" where Chandler blows on the genitals of their chick in the hope of determining its gender beneath the feathers!
I wonder if anyone can advise me on ways to detect between hens and roosters???
Thank you.

 

[Acre of Blessings]

Well that sounds like Hollywood, them paying someone to blow on a chicks butt.

I have learned that they need to be older. I may be wrong but that's what I have heard.
I was told when I purchased 12 chicks that my chance on getting a roo out of the bunch was about 1 %. Hope this helps and get ready to get addicted.

 

[flakey chick]

Vent sexing has to be done before they eat. There are other methods for sexing chicks that depend on sex-linked traits in the parents genes.

I have heard others mention another sexing test where they pick up the chick by the body with legs free. Supposedly girls pull their legs up to their bodies and boys dangle and kick their legs. You could give that a try and let us know how it works out for you.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

It's going to be difficult to determine sex at this point. The only sure way is time, though there are some neat little techniques I've heard about. none of those are sure-fire though.

 

[jdypat]

ive heard and ive seen it happen, that you run your hand over the box of chicks and the hens will sit down and the roos will stand up..
and if you think you will get one roo from twelve chicks.. haha i get 8 roos out of 12. but that just me..

 

[silkiechicken]

Unless they were bred sexlinked/feather sexable, or someone you know can vent sex... unlikly... there is no way to tell besides old wives tales stories where your chances are 50/50. Behavior at this age is not a good way to tell gender either. It will be about 6 weeks before you can be sure.

 

[speedabug]

Sometimes the chicks will already have a comb on their head. I saw a way of sexing chickens on Dirty jobs a show. They were in a hatchery and they would squeeze the chicks bottom. When you did this you could feel a bump on his bottom and he would be a rooster if not a hen.

 

[MaransGuy]

Without knowing which breed they are I would just choose the ones that have the least amount of comb and wattle color/development, the smallest legs, and are smaller in size overall, and hope for the best! At 2 weeks old it will still be difficult but some breeds will start to show the start of some differences. The late bloomers are always the ones to get you though!

Richard