How To Sex A Chicken - Wisdom From An Old Timer

[rosiesgirls]

Does anyone know if the wing feather technique works on Partridge Cochins? I know their feathers are fuzzier than standard breeds, so I'm not sure. I have 4 or 5-day-old babies: Buff Orpingtons, Austrolorps and Columbian Wyandottes. I bought all females and got that "free Rare Breed Mystery Chick." Turns out to be a Partridge Cochin. All 15 of the other birds have their flight feathers emerging, but the Cochin doesn't. I'm assuming it's probably a roo (given the fact that it was free), but just wondered if the feather test added any weight to that guess.

I'm hoping it's not a roo, because I can't keep him if it is and it seems to be a really curious, funny and smart little bird. I'd love to be able to keep it!

 

[tatertot]

Its all just the fun of guessing ...lol
I heard that if you drop a hat or tissue wad in a group of chicks the pullets will skatter but the cockerel will stand still or chest bump it

 

[gtourtel]

If they have already been sexed then there must be a way of sexing????

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

If they have already been sexed then there must be a way of sexing????

Welcome and ???? Not sure if you are asking, stating or? Perhaps if we understand a bit more of what you are saying or asking we can respond.

 

[gtourtel]

Welcome and ???? Not sure if you are asking, stating or? Perhaps if we understand a bit more of what you are saying or asking we can respond.

I am new to the chicken world and wanted to know how to sex a chicken. After reading a bit more I guess they are vent sexed at the factory. I have a BO "roo" bought at about 6-8 weeks is now 5 months and has not started crowing. I also have 5 hens, not BO, 6 months old that have started laying. Just wondering if Buddy will start to crow soon or lay eggs??

 

[rosiesgirls]

This is a link to a video put out by a large commercial hatchery. Parts of it were a bit unsettling, but at about 6 minutes and 35 seconds in, you'll get to the section that shows that they use the feather method.

For whatever it's worth.....not to keep the "argument" going.

Also, this method seems to be playing out in the chicks I got 3 weeks ago. One is definitely a rooster and still has tiny wings (and no tail). Two, who were supposed to be hens, also have much smaller wings and just tiny tails, while the rest of the flock have very large wings and definite tails. It'll be interesting to see if these 2 turn out to be roos. If so, it'll prove to me, anyway, that the wing method works.

Here are a couple of photos that show the two "suspects" next to other babies. Not great photos, but I think you'll see what I'm talking about:

 

[Junibutt]

Can anyone help me sex these chicken that are roosting on the bar?

Also I know the one in front is a Splash Wyandotte, what about the one in the back, anyone has ideas what breed it could be. It was sold to me as BLRW, but its different than the other BLRW I have.

Thanks,

 

[dallelake]

Thanks this will be very helpful

 

[One Chick Two]

Does anyone know if the wing feather technique works on Partridge Cochins? I know their feathers are fuzzier than standard breeds, so I'm not sure. I have 4 or 5-day-old babies: Buff Orpingtons, Austrolorps and Columbian Wyandottes. I bought all females and got that "free Rare Breed Mystery Chick." Turns out to be a Partridge Cochin. All 15 of the other birds have their flight feathers emerging, but the Cochin doesn't. I'm assuming it's probably a roo (given the fact that it was free), but just wondered if the feather test added any weight to that guess.

I'm hoping it's not a roo, because I can't keep him if it is and it seems to be a really curious, funny and smart little bird. I'd love to be able to keep it!

There's not a lot of info available on Partridge Cochins, and they are a VERY slow maturing breed- slow to feather in, so, I thought I'd give you some photos to see if your chick looks like this rooster. He was slow at everything- slow to mature, mated the hens at 9 months, crowed at 9 months, docile, but introverted and shy.

There are different chick downs possible for this breed. Blackie was two days old. Had his first feather. Our chick had this down pattern:



Blackie at two weeks old. Females will look similar at this age.


Blackie at six weeks old. His comb and wattles were smaller than many of our RIR pullets of the same age. He had a rooster type stance- my first suspicion and indication of Blackie being male.


Blackie at 8 weeks. You can see the comb and wattles starting to come in, and a few slight red feathers and blue feathers on back. The females don't have blue or red on the back at all. Eventually he lost all of the barring.


These red feathers a few weeks later were the absolute proof.


Blackie at 18 weeks.


Blackie at 1 year and still growing. They fully mature at two years old.


Also just wanted to add, he crows very little compared to PR, Marans and Bantams, is very gentle to the hens even with his great size, and is the most adventuresome freeranger of any chicken we have seen.

 

[rosiesgirls]

Thanks, One Chick Two! That's really helpful! I'm pretty sure my chick is a rooster. The babies are 4 weeks old now, and he's definitely way behind the girls with regard to his feathers. Still very downey, but getting his wing feathers in and also on his legs. The thing that really seems to be the tip off is that "rooster stance" you mentioned! He does seem to be pretty gentle still, but the other two "suspects" do, too.

The man at the feed store today (who has a flock of chickens right there) told me that he has had no problems with multiple roosters in his flock, since they were all raised together. At this point, I still think I'll probably decrease the size of the flock (16 is about 10 more than my original thought about how many chickens to raise!), but if they all get along and aren't too noisy, I might be convinced to keep them. (I am getting a bit attached!)

Anyway, the photos are a big help, so thanks again!