wow...lots of info....ill be curious to see what mine look like when i go home....got mine from TSC and was told that they were both hens....since its gonna be very nice today(FINALLY, NO RAIN FOR A DAY) im gonna put them outside to play....
Link to telling sex of Rhode Island Red Rooster and Hens
- Thread starter Rufflemyfeathers
- Start date
Thanks everyone for posting. We picked up 6 RI Reds from a local farm the day they were hatched, May 18. My daughter picked them out and I did not pay much attention to them until they were set up in their new home. I will give them numbers:
1. very dark wide stripes like a chipmunk
2. chipmunk pattern --> developed early crop, very pointed
3. chipmunk pattern (smallest bird of the flock) --> early crop not as pointed
4. light colored no stripe on head (biggest bird) --> becomes the bully early on and grows faster
5. light colored clear stripe on head
6. light colored very weak stripe on head --> curly toes (we made band-aid braces for it)
One would swear that they were two different breeds (1,2,3) and (4,5,6) until the wing feathers started coming in. I can still tell them all apart by their heads as they come up on 3 weeks. I cannot tell any difference between the tail feathers and wing feathers. Maybe I have to look more closely. Number 4 has always been the leader. He/she grew faster from the beginning and will regularly knock the other 5 chicks out of the feeder to choose its spot. Also I did the squirm test at 2 days old and 4 and 6 were the only two that would not lie quietly on their back in your hand. Today I noticed that two of the chicks have highly visible crops, 2 and 3. The two with the crops also have darker red beaks. I would have guessed at 1-2 days old that 4 and 6 were the roosters, but now I would guess that 2 and 3 are roosters. But I am not sure! The roosters are welcome to go back to the farm, but I would like to get that sorted out ASAP. Any help is appreciated. Maybe I need to look at feathers very carefully.
1. very dark wide stripes like a chipmunk
2. chipmunk pattern --> developed early crop, very pointed
3. chipmunk pattern (smallest bird of the flock) --> early crop not as pointed
4. light colored no stripe on head (biggest bird) --> becomes the bully early on and grows faster
5. light colored clear stripe on head
6. light colored very weak stripe on head --> curly toes (we made band-aid braces for it)
One would swear that they were two different breeds (1,2,3) and (4,5,6) until the wing feathers started coming in. I can still tell them all apart by their heads as they come up on 3 weeks. I cannot tell any difference between the tail feathers and wing feathers. Maybe I have to look more closely. Number 4 has always been the leader. He/she grew faster from the beginning and will regularly knock the other 5 chicks out of the feeder to choose its spot. Also I did the squirm test at 2 days old and 4 and 6 were the only two that would not lie quietly on their back in your hand. Today I noticed that two of the chicks have highly visible crops, 2 and 3. The two with the crops also have darker red beaks. I would have guessed at 1-2 days old that 4 and 6 were the roosters, but now I would guess that 2 and 3 are roosters. But I am not sure! The roosters are welcome to go back to the farm, but I would like to get that sorted out ASAP. Any help is appreciated. Maybe I need to look at feathers very carefully.
- Jul 19, 2011
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At what age can you tell the sex of RIR? I have had meat birds the past few years so I have never really cared about sex. Now I have some "real" chickens (4 RIR's, 2 black australorp, 1 buff orpington, 1 chantecler, and 1 ameracauna) and am very eager to find out what sex they will be. I was told they are about 6 weeks, but I don't believe they are all the same age. I know roosters will have bigger combs, wattles, and longer tail feathers, but what is the best age and best ways to determine sex? Thanks
- Aug 18, 2012
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I bought sexed pullets - 11 lived past the first week; I lost one.
One is turning out to be a rooster, I think.
I did not notice anything at purchase, but he did weigh the most of any bird.
Since then, he has either been top weight or second.
The differences from the other started to be very noticeable at 5 weeks.
I was wondering if he was a cross breed or a rooster at 5 weeks - something was definitely different.
His legs are much thicker and stronger, he is wider.
His comb showed color at least two weeks earlier than the others. He showed wattles earlier, too. His comb is larger than the others, extending further back on his head.
His tail feathers did not come in as early as the others - several weeks later, and when they came in they are more vertical than horizontal.
Several of mine have dark red beak tips, several do not; I don't think that is signifigant.
He has much more vibrant colored feathers coming in.
He is usually first or second out of the pen.
He challenges any thing strange (running toward it while the others run away) and routinely challenges all the other chicks.
He and the largest female are always bumping chests and flailing at each other.
At 10 weeks he has not yet shown any interest in crowing.
Dan
One is turning out to be a rooster, I think.
I did not notice anything at purchase, but he did weigh the most of any bird.
Since then, he has either been top weight or second.
The differences from the other started to be very noticeable at 5 weeks.
I was wondering if he was a cross breed or a rooster at 5 weeks - something was definitely different.
His legs are much thicker and stronger, he is wider.
His comb showed color at least two weeks earlier than the others. He showed wattles earlier, too. His comb is larger than the others, extending further back on his head.
His tail feathers did not come in as early as the others - several weeks later, and when they came in they are more vertical than horizontal.
Several of mine have dark red beak tips, several do not; I don't think that is signifigant.
He has much more vibrant colored feathers coming in.
He is usually first or second out of the pen.
He challenges any thing strange (running toward it while the others run away) and routinely challenges all the other chicks.
He and the largest female are always bumping chests and flailing at each other.
At 10 weeks he has not yet shown any interest in crowing.
Dan
- Sep 28, 2012
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I totally agree, I had some hens that did not have the black strip. I was able to tell right away because the wing feathers and tail feathers where much bigger than the males. Within a few days you can see that females feathers on their wings are much longer and sporatic.
- Nov 14, 2012
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That is very useful imformation!
I am concerned as well that my RIR is a roo. All of the chicks were sexed and supposed to be pullets. This is my first batch of chicks. How accurate is sexing? All of my birds are different breeds so I have nothing to compare my RIR to. I've been reading about the traits of roos and "she" has me freaked out. This is a picture of her. She's about 7 weeks old. It seems a lot of us are in the same boat.
Last edited:
- Nov 14, 2012
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I am concerned as well that my RIR is a roo. All of the chicks were sexed and supposed to be pullets. This is my first batch of chicks. How accurate is sexing? All of my birds are different breeds so I have nothing to compare my RIR to. I've been reading about the traits of roos and "she" has me freaked out. This is a picture of her. She's about 7 weeks old. It seems a lot of us are in the same boat.
Yeah I think he is a roo. We have a few RIR's and our hens didn't even have combs yet but that's exactly what our roo looked like.
- Aug 18, 2012
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Yes, I think that is a roo, as well.
I just hatched 38 eggs from my RIR. I waited to distribute them for 5 days after hatching (hatch April 7).
We'll know for sure in a few weeks, but I am fairly certain I picked 11 hens for myself at 5 days. The differences I noted while raising them last year led me to pick the one's that had noticeable tail feather tufts and much more developed wing feathers. It is not clear to me if these differences are just in this particuar strain, or if it is typical of RIR.
With typical one day old chicks, professionally sexed, most hatcheries will say they have 90% proper sexing.
I just hatched 38 eggs from my RIR. I waited to distribute them for 5 days after hatching (hatch April 7).
We'll know for sure in a few weeks, but I am fairly certain I picked 11 hens for myself at 5 days. The differences I noted while raising them last year led me to pick the one's that had noticeable tail feather tufts and much more developed wing feathers. It is not clear to me if these differences are just in this particuar strain, or if it is typical of RIR.
With typical one day old chicks, professionally sexed, most hatcheries will say they have 90% proper sexing.
Google "feather sexing." RIR is one of the breeds that can be feather sexed. I've never heard the theory regarding the stripe on the females head. I hatched 2 RIR, neither one had a stripe on the head, they both looked identical, but I was able to feather sex them with 100% accuracy. Feather sexing has to be done within 3 days of hatch.
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