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Hello & Welcome To BYC!:frow I agree with everyone else!
#1 rule is practice makes perfect!

Sex link and autosexing chickens are the easiest to tell apart, as you can tell their sex by the color of down as a chick.

Silkies are among the hardest to sex because of their feathers and their crest blocking their comb (other reasons, too.)

As for most other breeds, it's just a waiting game until one crows or lays an egg, really. That's the most accurate way of telling.

If you want to tell their sex sooner, look for these signs. For the sake of not being too confusing I'll refer to them as roosters, hens, males and females. Disregard the age-specific terms used (roosters and hens.)

Feathers:
1. Shape of plumage (rooster feathers are usually more pointy, hen feathers more rounded.)
2. Saddle shape (rooster saddle more draping, pointed, and shiny, hen saddle rounded.)
3. Tail shape (rooster tail curved, hen tail not.)

Comb:
1. Size (rooster comb matures faster, hen comb matures slowly. Depends on breed.)
2. How bright it is in color (rooster comb bright, hen comb pale when young.)

Wattles:
1. Size (rooster wattles large, hen wattles smaller or almost absent.)
2. How bright they are in color (rooster wattles bright, hen wattles pale when young.)

Legs and toes:
1. Size (rooster legs and toes typically longer in standard breeds.)
2. Thickness (rooster legs and toes thicker, hens legs and toes usually thin, depending on breed.)
3. Color (in a few breeds, color of legs varies from male to female.)

Behavior:
1. Behavior towards humans (in my experience, roosters are friendlier towards humans than hens are. Especially as chicks.)
2. Behavior towards flockmates (both genders fight with each other. Males may start to mate with females.)
3. How they walk (I find that roosters walk with their head up more. Like a model down a runway is the first thing that comes to mind don't ask why lmao...Hens are usually busy looking for greens and bugs on the ground with their head lower.)
4. How they act towards food (males may tidbit, although females will too.)
5. Alertness (roosters are much more alert than hens.)
 
Welcome to BYC. It is something that starts to come naturally to you with experience. I've found that instict is generally right.
If you suspect there is a good chance you are right.
Good luck! I hope this is one of those cases where insticts are wrong.
 

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