Is it true - about telling sex of chicks

[emilysteng]

I read in one of the chicken books I have - forget which one - that if a light colored hen and a dark colored rooster mate - the chicks that are light colored are hens and the dark colored ones are roosters. Just wondering if this is true?

 

[mrslb333]

If only it were that simple for all breeds. It's true for sex link chicks that have been cross bred to produce chicks which are feather sex-able, and a small handful of other specific breeds. The majority of other breeds are not feather sex-able and the only way to tell is vent sexing, which I find impossible and if your not careful can injure the chick, or the plain old fashioned wait till it's old enough to crow or lay an egg.
These are sex link chicks ( rhode island red x light sussex).

The girls are the brown ones.
Hope that helps

 

[emilysteng]

Thanks! I was wondering about my hen's new chicks - both yellow. I was told she is probably Old English Game. She is feral, and whoever her rooster was is also feral, and probably also Old English Game.