rooster or hen

[dadsgirl]

how old do chicks have to be to tell what sex they are,/?? and how can you tell?? thanks

 

[hwerner]

Well you can try at one day old by looking for sex organs, not a pretty job, nor is it easy. Thre is a way to tell by pin feathers that some people swear by, but I've never figured out how to do this. The best way to tell is wait until they are about 8 weeks old, by then roos will start having a more prominate combe and wattles will be coming in. If all else fails, between 12 and 16 weeks you'll hear crowing. That's the best give away. Too bad they don't have ultrasounds for eggs huh? LOL

 

[jakmallex]

My 7 week old is crowing, so you might know earlier than 12-16 weeks.

 

[hwerner]

Quote:
Yes, that is true indeed. I've had experience with an 8 week old crowing, but ours don't normally start until 12-16 weeks. 7 weeks is younger than our record, maybe I'll hear the crowing next week we have 6 week olders outside now.

 

[jakmallex]

I had a 6 week old silkie crow (well...if you could call it a crow) too. You're lucky you get silence until 12-16 weeks. It's getting VERY loud around here. I still have 2 other roosters that haven't made a sound yet, hopefully they will stay that way for awhile.

 

[coltsrox]

howdy,
tough one.... if you look on a search bar(if its here) on this site for this subject we had a HUGE discussion cause everyone will tell you a different way of sexing them.but i'll give you the ones i used:

1. If you hold them upside down if it leans up and trys to peck its feet/you then its a roo. if not its a pullet.

2.this one worked the best- If it has long wings its a pullet. the ones that have shorter wings are the roo's.
3. if you open their cage,watch how they run if they run all around its a roo. but if they kinda hunker down in one position their a pullet. this one also worked.

hopes it helps!

 

[DottieMarie]

Coltsrox, do you mean hang them upside down by their feet? I just want to be sure before I'm accused of chicken crulty. Does age matter when doing this?
The shorter feathers concerns me; I've noticed one of my Isa Browns having shorter feathers as soon as they started coming in.

 

[coltsrox]

i've heard some people say hang em upside down by their feet but what i did cuz i felt too rough.i just took their little body as if i was holding it and turned it upside down and if tryed to lean up it wasn't a hen, but if it sits there it keeps on chirpin its a pullet.
the wing part most helped me out. i've heard the first method is supposed to be in the furst few weeks but the wing one, if its a pullet. she;ll just basically grow faster, i remeber my roo barely had a wing when hers was covering my hand! the only thing he might grow faster on his is gobble gobble.
sorry for the long explanation! hoped it helped!oh! and i'm leaving my babies for a month so pray for me but i won't be able to anwser until tommorrow!sorry!