Read to many posts and now I'm confused!! **Pics included**

[UrbanFarming]

I have been reading a lot of old threads and I'm starting to drive myself crazy. I bought "sexed" day old female chicks (you wouldn't call them hens yet right?) at my local feed store. My 2 Barred Rocks are now 2 weeks old. I was reading old posts that said if the white spot on the top of their head is smudgy then they are males. I also read that males are lighter and their wing feathers grow in white with black bars as opposed to black with white bars. Both mine have smudgy white spots but the wing feathers came in black and are just starting to get white bars. Could these possibly be males? Can't have any roos in city limits!

#1






#2






What do you think?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Don't panic...let them grow. It is still very early to determine sex. You'll know better by 6 weeks of age, have almost certainty by 10 weeks...however some you just have to wait until they crow or lay an egg.

The sexing techniques for Barred Rocks can be helpful...but there is a lot of variety in hatchery stock...and if you read the literature, the dot, feather tipping, and leg wash sexing tricks only work for a certain percentage...used together they are more indicative...but they are not fool proof.

While the second one's head dot is more diffuse, it has black wash down its legs, and a small, yellow comb. The first one has a tight dot on its head, but the comb is noticeable at 2 weeks. However, it is very yellow and it has black leg wash.

Both birds still look very dark...there isn't a big row of banding white. It is hard to tell what all that white means until you see a male and female side by side...it confuses me seeing just one as it is sometimes hard to see if that is black on white (double barred) or white on black.

I find the best indication is the comb. Does it get large fast? Does it turn pink/red by 6 weeks? If so, you've got a male almost with certainty (almost...I've had some females pink at 6 weeks, but hang at that stage until they blossomed and laid at 14!).

So take your time....both look female at this point. Check back in a few weeks.

Enjoy your little chicks.
Lady of McCamley

 

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

I agree that both look female at this point.

 

[UrbanFarming]

@Lady of McCamley @RoostersCrow,HensDeliver! Thank you for your input. I appreciate it! I'm assuming the hatchery does vent sexing before they send the chicks to the feed store so I'm just going to hope for the best!