How to tell if your chick is a cock or a hen!

[Pekin Hen]

This is such wonderfull news you wouldn't believe me!

The other night i was watching "How it's made" on Discovery channel , when they showed how to hatch chicks. When they are hatched they must be separated , male and female , and how to separate them they look at their wings.
If the little feathers are all the same length it's a male and if the little feathers are all diffirent sizes it's a hen!

I hope this information helps you all!

Annette.

 

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

Very interesting! Does that apply to all breeds, or only certain ones?

-Meghan

 

[speckledhen]

It wouldn't apply to all breeds, just certain ones. Sorry, I dont recall which can be feather-sexed.

 

[brooster]

It it only applys to some, but there is vent, feather, and color sexing.

 

[Pekin Hen]

Well , i'm not 100% sure but they said it can be showed in any breed.
Annette.

 

[Fancy Feather Poultry]

Does the feathering sexing apply to silkies?

 

[JackieK318]

Yes, it is very apparent on Silkies - try this if you ever see a bunch of Silkie chicks. You have to look at them when they are under a week old though, or the differences aren't so obvious.

 

[Slim]

Here's some excerpts from articles realating to feather sexing. The complete article can be veiwed by clicking on the link.

The Mother Earth News article is interesting, and explains how vent and down feather sexing is done.

From Sexing of Day Old Chicks
Mississsippi State University Website
Quote:
From How To Determine the Sex of Baby Chickens
By Deborah Anderson
October 26, 2006
Quote:
From How To Sex Day Old Chicks
Mother Earth News Website Archive
Original print date: May/June 1974
Quote:
Hope this helps-
Slim