I have to talk POLISH!

[K Epp]

I think my boy Einstein has turned out nicely after he has had time to recover from being in the cage with those other roos.




Don't as me what he is doing in this one...



Lady Gaga one of his girls.

 

[K Epp]

I think my boy Einstein has turned out nicely after he has had time to recover from being in the cage with those other roos.




Don't as me what he is doing in this one...



Lady Gaga one of his girls.

 

[miohippus]

Was that a hatchery chick or a breeder? I've heard the higher quality the chick the less you can tell until they are old enough to show their "true colors", so to speak.
But my hatchery ones, I had two (hatchery quality) that had very little bump (and different shape) and I'm pretty sure they are roos. It's still too early to tell for sure though. I'll post later if they turn out to be pullets.

yes mine are hatchery stock from ideal

 

[miohippus]

Don't as me what he is doing in this one...

looking for shaded or he thinks the turkey is his mom, lol

 

[TarMac]

So what do you look for as your chicks get older to tell hen from roo. I have 11 of them and I don't plan on keeping them all and I would like to know which ones are roosters and which ones are hens so I can make decisions on who I want to keep. Some of them I can part their crests up front and find little combs...could that mean they'll grow into roos?

 

[Maligator]

Thus far, I have had REALLY good success by looking at early pink pigment just behind the beak. My roosters got early pink/red and only one of those pinker chicks is giving me a hard time as far as sex goes. I was convinced it was a him, and now I am thinking it is a her. We'll see! I did the same pigment watch with my sultans and have had similar success.

My new batch of chicks will be tough. The WCB's have dark, dark skin and I can't see the red pigment very easily. I usually go by that, as my pullets will have combs but no wattles. They get a little blush on their faces later on, but in the early stages they are pretty pale with little to no wattles. I've noticed my roosters will have more noticeable wattles that then develop into the bigger, more mature looking wattles.

Crest shape sexing would have proven every single person on BYC wrong. My roos had beautiful rounded crests as youngsters that only just now are developing their normal spikes. My pullets had wild crests, all pushed up and mohawked out before they finally rounded out. So while some people can tell by crest shape, pigment, or just behavior, I try to collect a couple of cues along the way and try to do my best guess. The roosters will eventually develop the spiked saddles and hackles with much darker, vibrant plumage. Their legs will be thicker as chicks, and their bodies are generally more husky/large. They are tricky to tell apart but much easier than my silkies!

 

[miohippus]

crest sexing at 5 weeks would not have worked for mine either allot of the males looked like females.


This is what they looked like

all three of these turned out to be roos




one roo two hens




two roos one hen



two roos and one hen



one roo and two hens

 

[K Epp]

crest sexing at 5 weeks would not have worked for mine either allot of the males looked like females.


This is what they looked like

all three of these turned out to be roos




one roo two hens




two roos one hen



two roos and one hen



one roo and two hens

I hope you are right. My Silver laced is looking very rooish and I do not need another roo.

 

[miohippus]

I hope you are right. My Silver laced is looking very rooish and I do not need another roo.

i am correct on the sexing of these because they are 8 mos old now and it is pretty easy to tell i have sold all the roos except 3. But when they were 5mos old in the photos i had no clue then that was my point. have you posted a pic of your silver laced how old is it?

 

[K Epp]

i am correct on the sexing of these because they are 8 mos old now and it is pretty easy to tell i have sold all the roos except 3. But when they were 5mos old in the photos i had no clue then that was my point. have you posted a pic of your silver laced how old is it?

I put one on here when I got it as a chick, but not since. I will get one on today, but bless its hear its in that ugly stage. I Guess it will be Billy Idol. My cockerels are Einstein and Liberace The pullets are Lady Gaga and Madonna.