How to sex a chick

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theechickyman

theechickyman

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Hello I just a had a batch of chicks hatch. But I do not know how to tell if the chick is a male or female, if you could give me some help it would be very appreciated.
 
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I look for the little paint dots the hatchery puts on their heads. . . . . .Oh, you mean your own chicks. Unless they are sex linked, which means a cross breed, where the males and females hatch showing different colors, it's anybody's guess. Even the professionals, that the hatcheries hire, run only about 90% accuracy.
 
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You will need to wait until they age a bit for good sexing of chicks. Pullets can feather out faster than cockerels, cockerels will grow thicker legs and their combs and wattles will grow in faster and redden.

You can also post pics in our What Gender section here on BYC when they get older.

Welcome to BYC and enjoy your new babies!
 
Hello :frow and Welcome To BYC! Congratulations n the successful hatch! You generally can't tell what sex a chick is until it is older, (unless it is a sex link) usually around 4-8 weeks when the boys start growing combs and wattles and later male feathers before you can really start to tell for sure. There is a nice article in the Learning Center on ways to get an idea of what they are at various ages that might help you https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/is-my-chicken-a-pullet-hen-or-a-cockerel-cock If you want, when they chicks are a little older, you can post pictures of them in the What Breed Or Gender Is This Forum for help with figuring out what they are. https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/15/what-breed-or-gender-is-this
 
The females you used are not barred. If your male was a truebred Barred Rock he carries two barring genes. The chicks will be barnyard mixes. They will inherit barring, but it won't be the cleaner, double barring of a truebred BR male. They'll look more spotty or cuckoo. You can't sex them, except for vent sexing which I wouldn't recommend. If your BR male isn't truebred himself, the chicks will be all over the map in coloration and cuckoo. Since they've already hatched, you know the answer to that. This supposed that he is the only breeding male you have.

So, when they are older, 6-8 weeks, some of the more typical male/female characteristics will begin to show themselves. Thick legs, red combs and wattles on the males being the more obvious signs.
 
Fred's Hens said:
 The females you used are not barred.  If your male was a truebred Barred Rock he carries two barring genes. The chicks will be barnyard mixes.  They will inherit barring, but it won't be the cleaner, double barring of a truebred BR male.  They'll look more spotty or cuckoo.  You can't sex them, except for vent sexing which I wouldn't recommend.  If your BR male isn't truebred himself, the chicks will be all over the map in coloration and cuckoo.   Since they've already hatched, you know the answer to that. This supposed that he is the only breeding male you have.

So, when they are older, 6-8 weeks, some of the more typical male/female characteristics will begin to show themselves.  Thick legs, red combs and wattles on the males being the more obvious signs.
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Yea he is not a truebred barred rock because he has some orange and blue in him. So of he would have been. True bred barred rock it would be easier to tell boy from girl?
 

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