How to tell the sex of a Rhode Island Red?

[Dusty8ball]

Hi Guys and Dolls,

I have bought Rhode Island Reds as day old but are now 4 weeks old. a bought them as a strait run but was only given a 80% success rate of sexing them correctly. I have 11, so based on those odds I should have two roosters. They all look the same to me. Any tips on what I can look at to tell the pullets from the cockerels?

Thanks.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Bigger legs and a taller stance at this age will give you a very good indication which are the males. In a week or two the males will start to get red in the combs and wattles will start to show before the females. The females will not have red in comb until near laying age.

I don't understand how you got straight run but think there is an 80% chance of females. Can you elaborate on that? The term straight run is just that, a random grab of chicks and all chicks have a 50% chance of being either sex.

 

[Chicken Girl1]

Bigger legs and a taller stance at this age will give you a very good indication which are the males. In a week or two the males will start to get red in the combs and wattles will start to show before the females. The females will not have red in comb until near laying age.

I don't understand how you got straight run but think there is an 80% chance of females. Can you elaborate on that? The term straight run is just that, a random grab of chicks and all chicks have a 50% chance of being either sex.

x2 and if you like you could post a picture and we could try and help sex them.

 

[Dusty8ball]

I'm new to raising chicks. I have only had fully grown layers in the past many years ago. The other thing is that I don't listen very well. my hearing is just fine. I was sure the hatchery that I got them from told me I had an 80% chance of a rooster because I wanted just hens. The receipt said 10 straight run. So I just assumed straight run was one gender and that 10 ment buy ten get one free.

 

[Chicken Girl1]

Straight run means a mix of girls and boys.

 

[Dusty8ball]

Yeah I know that now, LOL. You know what the say about assume. it makes an *** out of u and me...

 

[Dusty8ball]

Hey Chicken Girl1, I just seen your pics of your chickens. They look great!

 

[Chicken Girl1]

Hey Chicken Girl1, I just seen your pics of your chickens. They look great!

Why thank you!

 

[Chicken Girl1]

What other breeds of chickens do you have? (besides RIRs )

 

[BantamLover21]

If you post some photos of your chicks, we should be able to help sex them. The main cockerel characteristic to look for at this age is larger, redder comb/wattles.