** How to know if chicks are male or female!!! **

[Shauna's Silkies]

Hi all, How do u know if chicks are male or female!!!
Please Help
Thanks Shauna

 

[kevs-chickadees]

That's a ? that comes with a lot of different answers. If they are from a hatchery most are bread to have long and short wing feathers to determine the sex. Some breeds are sex linked meaning the males are born one color and the females another. I believe as they begin to get their feathers the females will feather out quicker, I'm no expert and I'm sure someone else can give more info.

 

[Shauna's Silkies]

Thanks hopefully!! haha

 

[Shauna's Silkies]

Can Anyone help me Please!!!

 

[Tanichca]

Well, for a lot of breeds (especially silkies) you cannot know for sure until it crows or lays an egg. Baby chicks can only be sexed if the are sex-linked birds. Usually, a rooster will start developing larger, redder comb and waddles by about 5 weeks.

 

[Shauna's Silkies]

Thanks so ill just wait and see!!!
hopefully they are all hens!!

 

[MuckyPuppy]

There are several different ways that people try and tell the sex of chicks ......... There is one where the chick is picked up by the skin at the back of the neck near the head. I think if the chick leaves it's legs down it's a female but if it draws them toward it's chest it's a male. Somewhere on here there is post on this with pics. I would be too nervous to do it as I am accident prone. Found it https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=543083 ......... There is the one that says that female chicks will usually get their wing and tail feathers before males do. Some say in the first week or so (they don't explain what the or so part means) and others say by the time the chick is 2 weeks old. http://successwithpoultry.blogspot.com/2007/04/how-to-tell-sex-of-chicks.html https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=295721 ......... I know I had another one bookmarked but I can't seem to find it right now.

Hope it helps.

 

[Kitty Cat]

There are a few ways to know what sex a chick is.

1st- chick sexing/ which is achieved by basically squeezing the poo out of the chick and looking at the cloaca. (not sure which part their looking at i think its cloaca could be wrong) This method must be done very quickly since the chicks are at risk of infection from their inners being pushed outwards and exposed.

2nd- older sexing/ pay close attention to the behavior of your chicks and watch carefully for any subtle differences in physical growth, (such as thicker legs, darker comb, more pronounced comb, early wattle growth- all indicates possible rooster) I opt for this method since I would feel like I'm squeezing the poor chick to death. And so far I've only been wrong once.