IF I were going to get more chicks and didn't want to chance

[Robin'sBrood]

getting any more roos, are Black Sex Link the only breed that there is a 100% success rate with sexing when they're tiny chicks?

I have a roo... and I live in a subdivision... and my kids get VERY attached to chicks VERY quickly. Last year I got what was supposed to be 5 pullets and ended up with 2 cockerels.

We had to return one and my kids (and I) were heartbroken over it. I don't want to even risk getting another roo, but I'd like to get a couple more standard pullets. So, is Sex Link the only way to go to be sure?

 

[mtnhomechick]

any sex link. Black, Red, California White, Gold. They are all sexed by color at birth.

 

[Robin'sBrood]

Great, thanks!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Hate to burst your bubble, but if the sex-links are not correctly crossed they will hav e offspring in teh correct sets of colours, but some of each will be boys and some of each will be girls. A friend purchased a dozen or two red sex-link pullets. They were all the correct colour for pullets and each and every one ended up being cockerels. Hatcheries generally get it right, but...

The only way to be absolutely certain is to get an older bird who is already laying.

Barred varieties are also sexable at hatching as are a few other varieties.

 

[Robin'sBrood]

Bubble burst.

 

[mtnhomechick]

Well, don't know what to say. I got 15 rsl from Estes last year and they were pullets. The males are light...the females are golden to reddish.

 

[Omniskies]

Some breeds are autosex at birth and are pretty accurate. One of the reasons we're so smitten with Silver Grey Dorkings is because you can sex them at birth by the stripe on the head - large for females, small for males.

If you don't get too attached in two weeks time then you can go with Salmon Faverolles. They can be feather sexed at two weeks of age with males coming in black and females buff. If nothing else, you'll find out sooner than with other breeds so it's easier to find homes before the crowing begins.

Another option is to get a fast growing breed that is already around 8-10 weeks of age. Most of your fast growing birds have a red comb that grows faster on the males than the females.

Also your Egyptian Fayoumi roosters will start crowing as early as six weeks of age

.

Good luck with your pick.