How reliable is the sexing of Barred Rocks as day old chicks?

[SportChick]

I just hatched 6 chicks. They are all Barred Rocks. I have read and seen the pictures suggesting the larger, more dramatic white caps and less pigmented legs and lighter/silvery coloring is indicative of Roos. I am looking at my group and I have 2 that meet all of those criteria and 2 more that have pretty substantial white/yellow caps but are not as silvery. How much should I count on this? I am aiming for 6 hens, so I will likely start another hatch now if it is pretty certain I only got 2 hens out of this one.

 

[RAREROO]

Yep what you said is basicly correct, with a little eye training you can sex day old barred rocks fairly easily

here are some of mine if it helps

pullets

roos

even if you did end up with 6 pullets in this hatch, it you want to end up with 6 you need to hatch more anyway becuase you are always gonna lose a few.

 

[SportChick]

Yup! That was the picture I had found that made me realize I probably have at least 4 and probably 5 roos and only 1, maybe 2 pullets.

I have no intention of losing any to critters, but illness I can't be sure of I guess. Their heads are what is convincing me, is that more reliable or is the whole group of characteristic the most helpful. By their heads, I am pretty sure I have 4-5. Only 3 are silvery in color. I really don't think I am a good judge of their legs. They keep sitting on them and they are so little I hate to just stretch them out to see. 2 fit all the criteria for sure.

What am I going to do with 5 roosters!!! I don't have the knowledge or the desire to dress them myself, and funny but no one is volunteering to take my extra roos, only hens! Should I start asking real farmer to help me. I am perfectly happy to eventually eat them, I just can do the deed myself.