Hi! I'm a newbie with some questions.

[bakinghomesteader]

How often do you handle the chicks?
When can you know if you got girls or boys from your straight run?
Thanks! We have 17 chicks and we are so excited! Here are some of them. The only ones I know for sure are the barred rocks.

 

[Bock_Bock]

you can hadle them as much as you want some like to be handled while some not, but telling the sex is diffrent for diffrent breeds as some breeds can be told by the color while others you can tell by feathering while others you have to wait for their secondary characteristics like the redder comb and waddles or the hackle or saddle feathers getting pointy
also

 

[4-H chicken mom]

I handle my chicks a lot. Just make sure you wash your hands before and after handling. It's good for you and your chicks health. Most chicks will take time to see if their males or females. Barred rocks are the easiest for me to tell if they are male or females by the white spot on their head. Like the one in the top of the photo with the small white spot is a female and the one in the bottom of the pic, should be a male. It's not always fullproof, but it usually works for me. Congrats on your new babies, enjoy!!

 

[bakinghomesteader]

Ok, what is a waddle, hackle, or saddle feathers? Sorry

 

[Bock_Bock]

Waddle-things that hang from bottom of beak area
Hackle- is the feathers on the chickens neck
Saddle- the feathers on the chickens back/rump

 

[bakinghomesteader]

We have a light yellow one with a fatty spot on the breast area? Is that a waddle?

 

[Fowl Visions]

No that's the crop and it is where the food is stored when a chick eats so they can break it down and digest it.

It will be a few weeks before you will see the waddles and combs.

 

[bakinghomesteader]

Oh, gosh, now I feel like a dork! Thanks for the info!

 

[Bock_Bock]

feel free to check this pic out or you can go to google and search for chicken anatomy but here is a link to a pic

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p205/ladyhawk1979/chicken_anatomy_diagram1.gif

 

[the_eagle69]