picking out chicks. Any secrets?

[TigerLilly]

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Now THAT is an awesome law! No way the spouse can argue when you come home with that many...numerous times...

 

[Mak]

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Now THAT is an awesome law! No way the spouse can argue when you come home with that many...numerous times...

No, it isn't! Means I have to order from a hatvhery since I don't have room for 12 more. And that means I have to put blinders and earplugs on when I go to the feed stores in spring!! LOL

 

[rickerra]

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The idea of getting a few extra are like playing the odds. You want 3 hens. But what if one of your chicks is a mistaken roo? Should have gotten an extra. What if one of your chicks becomes sick and doesn't make it? You should have gotten an extra. What if one becomes an incessant "bully" or feather plucker? You should have gotten an extra. It's easier to get rid of one should they all be perfect than to find another one to bring into your flock that didn't grow up with your others. See the thinking?

Sex-linked birds are a cross-breed of certain pure breeds of certain color that has one color female chicks and a different (or very distinguishable) color for the male chicks. Makes knowing male vs females easier. I've heard of Red and Black sex-linked...

Cheers!

 

[dsqard]

The most important thing when picking out chicks is to pick out only the cute ones!

 

[CoopDeDoo]

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The idea of getting a few extra are like playing the odds. You want 3 hens. But what if one of your chicks is a mistaken roo? Should have gotten an extra. What if one of your chicks becomes sick and doesn't make it? You should have gotten an extra. What if one becomes an incessant "bully" or feather plucker? You should have gotten an extra. It's easier to get rid of one should they all be perfect than to find another one to bring into your flock that didn't grow up with your others. See the thinking?

Sex-linked birds are a cross-breed of certain pure breeds of certain color that has one color female chicks and a different (or very distinguishable) color for the male chicks. Makes knowing male vs females easier. I've heard of Red and Black sex-linked...

Cheers!

Thanks for the quick reply. Brings up another question - Do the sex-linked birds make good "pets" as well as decent layers? Our city very reluctantly & very quietly changed the ordinance prohibitting chickens. I DO NOT want to be the one that caused them to be banned again by having too many or a loud roo

So I had narrowed my choices down to Buff Orps, Sussex & Barred Rocks - then they went and threw the "sex-links" in the mix! At least I wouldn't accidently get a roo that way.

 

[Ridgerunner]

A lot of times the people handling the chicks at feed stores don't know a lot about chicks or chickens. They may come in segregated but they can easily be mixed up. At my Tractor Supply, they have three tubs, red, bantam, and others. They may get red sex links in separately but in mine, they get mixed up real quickly with any other red chicks.

The barred gene is a sex linked gene. Females only have one barred gene while males have two. This makes the males usually lighter in color than the females. If you have a bin of only barred rock chicks, this works pretty well, but if you have a bin of mixed chicks, some of which are barred rocks and some that are something else, your certainty goes way down. You could pick out a darker barred chick and select a black sex link male, for example.

Yes, sex links can make as good a pet as any other breed.

If they have them separated, the red sex link pullets are reddish while the males are yellow. With black sex links, the males have a white spot on their head that the female does not have. But if they don't have them separated, well, good luck!

 

[Judy]

How to sex Barred Rocks:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=331015

 

[N&MSchroeder]

I'm from Idaho and have ordered 2 Golden Sex-link from my local feed store. I didn't know anything about them, but when I was ordering, I was told that they were the best and that if I ordered again next year, I wouldn't buy anything else. While I was in the store, 2 customers came in and ordered GSLs only. Hmm. My local feed store gets their chickens from Dunlap Hatchery. Here is what their website said about the GSL.

"This is our best brown egg layer. Imported originally from the Netherlands, this strain is used in over 60 countries worldwide. Capable of laying over 300 strong shelled eggs per year, the Golden Sex Link also know as the Bovan Brown is a very hearty bird that can withstand cold temperatures. When hatched, the males are a creamy white with the females colored in shades of red."

Hope this helps.

 

[GardeNerd]

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What about Barred Rocks make them "easy"? Do you mean they are easy to tell which is a roo vs. pullet when they are days old chicks? If so, please tell me what you look for in Barred Rocks. Thanks!

Yes please share

For the plymouth barred rock day old chicks, the thread ddawn posted is a good one.

I look at the head spot: the shape and distribution of the white spot. Females usually have more even and defined spots. The males will have larger, irregularly-shaped spots, or spots with extra frosting around the top and back of the head.
I also look at the legs. Female chicks tend to have darker coloring down the legs than the males.

When the chicks are a few weeks old, the way the barring comes in on the wings is a good indicator of gender. Males typically have wider white barring than black barring, females usually have wider black barring than white.

 

[HEChicken]

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Yes, oh yes! I've had a RSL and a BSL. The RSL was far and away my most favorite chicken ever. She had so much personality. She was my only mouser and had a few other cute things she did that the others didn't do. Always leading the flock to race over to me when I stepped out in the backyard. Very quiet, very friendly. She was exceptionally healthy and never did anything that made me stress or worry about her. Got up each morning and raced (sometimes with legs crossed to hold it in) to the nest box to drop her egg. Minutes later she'd be out eating with the others. In the nest box would be a gorgeous big, brown egg. She laid almost every single day from the time she started laying. In 9 months she missed only two days. Sadly, she was killed by my neighbor's dog in November. I still miss her.

I currently have a BSL. She doesn't have near the personality the RSL did, but is quiet. I've actually never even heard her sing the egg song. Unfortunately, she is not near as good and consistent a layer. However if she were in your backyard, I can't imagine her causing you any issues as far as the city planners go.