How early can you tell gender?

[Henriettta]

With the exception of sex-linked breeds, how early can you personally confidently tell a chicks gender?
Have you noticed chick behavior can give a good lead? The way they stand?
Personally- at what age do you feel confident in your predictions?

Just curious

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I raise silkies, so I have been fooled more than once by behavior. Yes, USUALLY cockerel chicks stand taller, etc, etc. But none of that is reliable in my experience.

 

[FeatherTay]

Some you can tell about 4 weeks, but they can surprise you at that age. At 6 weeks you can pretty much tell. At 8 weeks you can definitely tell (USUALLY) mostly with the exception of EE's, Polishes, and Silkies.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

3-4 weeks for Cochins, d'Anvers and D'uccles, at least picking out who is definately a male. Others anywhere from 6 to 15 weeks

 

[Henriettta]

I rasie silkies, so I have been fooled more than once by behavior. Yes, USUALLY cockerel chicks stand taller, etc, etc. But none of that is reliable in my experience.

I agree!
Boy, I wish I was one of those professional sex checkers. The ones that can tell at birth. I'm too scared to squeeze them that way, though. So it's the waiting game for me!
Of course, then I get stuck with those chickens that even as adults are hard to tell until they lay an egg

 

[Henriettta]

Some you can tell about 4 weeks, but they can surprise you at that age. At 6 weeks you can pretty much tell. At 8 weeks you can definitely tell (USUALLY) mostly with the exception of EE's, Polishes, and Silkies.

Out of sheer curiousity, what makes an EE hard to tell?

 

[FeatherTay]

Out of sheer curiousity, what makes an EE hard to tell?

From my experience, the cockerels can sometimes look like girls up until one morning they just crow. It baffles me... its happened many times. I think it has something to do with their pea combs.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

With single comb breeds, I can usually tell by 5-6 weeks. Some early combers, earlier of course. Pea combs is individual, but usually by 8-10 weeks, sometimes later. Wyandottes I find more challenging and prefer to wait until I can see saddle feathers coming in 12 + weeks. Silkies and Polish take longer in most cases. There are always exceptions with the individual bird. Some boys make themselves known early in all breeds.

 

[Henriettta]

From my experience, the cockerels can sometimes look like girls up until one morning they just crow. It baffles me... its happened many times. I think it has something to do with their pea combs.

I have a batch right now of pea combs I wish I didn't have to wait so long! They all look the same. Breeds nightmares of waking up and every one is crowing

 

[herechickiechick]

From my experience, the cockerels can sometimes look like girls up until one morning they just crow. It baffles me... its happened many times. I think it has something to do with their pea combs.

I woke up one morning and told my guy "Someone got s new roo." It was us. My SL Wyandotte was 5 months before he crowed. First sign showing us he was a roo. His tail feathers and comb finally came in as well. We still call him by his birth name; Princess.