Sexing Barred Rocks

[Chikenbutwut]

I have 15 of them, so the cockerels really stand out. They have from day one. Their fluff was more gray too but the light versus natural light can make it even more confusing

The two that I know are cockerels are way grayer, and only have wing feathers and they stand different also, as the pullets are already getting their body feathers! I know I have atleast two cockerels and 12 pullets and one, I don't know yet

that one could go either way, it's smaller than the two cockerels, but grayer, but has a few tail feathers and stands more like the pullets...so I am waiting to see on that one. With the 2 guys I have, they have already done the pecking order dance and stare down and boy can you see the boy in them when they do it. I can already see which one is the dominant one! He calls HIS girls to bed at night LOL! The girls, not sure which is my dominant pullet yet...no one seems to really stand out yet.

My flock is 2 weeks and 4 days from hatch today. They have no heat lamp or light. They sleep all night too...which is great as I was not sleeping with that light and them up all night!!! Yeahhh

Just got the second coat of paint on the coop today and even though the wood is showing through still, that's it...it will make cleaning and pest control a lot easier for me!!! Plus add light in the winter time!!! I didn't want to use Benz under, so that's why the white paint is bleeding the wood through two coats. So once it's dry and aired out, the boys and girls will be in their coop and out of my little cabin livingroom!!! Hoping and praying for this week-end!!!

I got mine from a small family farm hatchery, Hoffman, and I have read that leg wash from hatchery lots, you can't rely on as much.( no idea if this is true or not, just something I read) My guys are also bigger than the girls and like I said, they have a different stance then the girls. The pullets are getting their feathers and look pretty funny with "blown out chests" and feathers down their legs. The guys look nakid compared to the girls!!!

I'll try to help..how old is he/she? Where did you get he/she? It's harder when you don't have the lot to compare them too as the difference is stark when there are quite a few! Is that your only BR? Sorry, haven't read all the posts on this thread yet.

He/she is almost 4 wks. old. I got him/her from My Pet Chicken (who, from what I understand, gets their birds from Meyer). Yep, it's my only BR. I had ordered two, but the other passed away at three days old from shipping stress. It's a bantam and suppose to be a pullet, as I had them sexed, but, of course that's not 100%. It's comb doesn't show any pink to it what-so-ever. It's not any larger than any of the other chicks from that shipment that were also all suppose to be pullets.

Glad to hear your coop is almost ready so your little ones can go out.

I'm almost done with my coop. I am so ready for the first shipment of chicks I got to go into it. They are so messy, lol! The room in the coop and the run will, of course, not be messy. I hope things work out and you have been, or will be able to, get yours out to the coop this weekend.

You said your pullets have feathers down their legs, what breed are those? I have Cochins (and will be getting some d'Uccles soon!

) and their feathery legs are so stinkin' cute. They get a bit messy if they step in a poop, lol, but it's easily cleaned up. At 8 wks. they're already starting to look like little poof balls. I love it! Strangely one of my bantam Columbian Wyandotte cockerels has little stubs of feathers on his legs. I'm assuming it's from hatchery breeding. No biggie, he's still a cutie anyway. He's also one of the sweetest...such a lap chicken, always wanting to be picked up. I've tried not to get attached to him, as the order he came from was straight run and I can't have any roos, but I fell in love with him anyway. I'll be able to still see him with the guy who's taking my cockerels, so I'm happy about that.

Thank you for your help, I appreciate it!

 

[Chikenbutwut]

So I need some help. This little one was sold to me as a 2wk old pullet?! I'm no longer sure after looking over all of these photo's.
What do you think?
2wks


3wks

Sorry I wish I had better pictures of all the features.

I'm, of course by the questions about my own BR's sex, not very versed in them, but I'm seeing some pink in that comb in the pic. right under where it says 3 weeks, so that leads me to think cockerel as well.

 

[mithious]

He/she is almost 4 wks. old. I got him/her from My Pet Chicken (who, from what I understand, gets their birds from Meyer). Yep, it's my only BR. I had ordered two, but the other passed away at three days old from shipping stress. It's a bantam and suppose to be a pullet, as I had them sexed, but, of course that's not 100%. It's comb doesn't show any pink to it what-so-ever. It's not any larger than any of the other chicks from that shipment that were also all suppose to be pullets.

Glad to hear your coop is almost ready so your little ones can go out.

I'm almost done with my coop. I am so ready for the first shipment of chicks I got to go into it. They are so messy, lol! The room in the coop and the run will, of course, not be messy. I hope things work out and you have been, or will be able to, get yours out to the coop this weekend.

You said your pullets have feathers down their legs, what breed are those? I have Cochins (and will be getting some d'Uccles soon!

) and their feathery legs are so stinkin' cute. They get a bit messy if they step in a poop, lol, but it's easily cleaned up. At 8 wks. they're already starting to look like little poof balls. I love it! Strangely one of my bantam Columbian Wyandotte cockerels has little stubs of feathers on his legs. I'm assuming it's from hatchery breeding. No biggie, he's still a cutie anyway. He's also one of the sweetest...such a lap chicken, always wanting to be picked up. I've tried not to get attached to him, as the order he came from was straight run and I can't have any roos, but I fell in love with him anyway. I'll be able to still see him with the guy who's taking my cockerels, so I'm happy about that.

Thank you for your help, I appreciate it!

Sorry, meant their upper legs, the pullets are getting their but feathers too. I have no idea what the real terms are, so just call them as I see them LOL. Mine are all BR's. Not show quality, from a small family run hatchery, Hoffman, but I am VERY pleased with them all! They are feathering out great, except the cockerels. They have been slower but are finally starting to get very small tails feathers. No body feathers, like the pullets yet, but I expect that to be coming soon. ( I'm getting 6 Dominiques in the spring that are heritage birds ) They will be 3 weeks from hatch tomorrow and I moved them to their coop today

Everyone is doing fine. I have checked on them twice plus changed their water just now and checked the feeder, as they will be going to sleep soon. It's nice and warm in their coop, just like my cabin. Although my cabin will be cool tonight because I have the fan on for the first time in three weeks!!! The paint smell is all but gone, so I decided it was time to move them. That was a HUGE undertaking. I used the kittie's travel thingy to move them, but all went well...catching them was another story

but I actually got to spend some time with them, as I could sit with them in their coop. They even climbed on my legs and slippers! I got to pat a few for a few seconds too! They were flying all over the place, they were so excited and loved being in a larger place.

I have one little one, just a bit smaller than the rest, a pullet ,and she was making a fuss when I went out to check their feeder and change their water, shut the windows, as it's supposed to be a bit chilly tonight. I put a small 2" by 4" piece by the feeder. I think she might have been having trouble getting the feed she wanted. She likes to eat the smaller mash type and that ends up at the bottom of the "tray"...so she should be able to reach just fine now. Everyone else was just doing their regular chicken thing and paying her no mind. I also made a temporary roost out of a scrape piece and about 7 are on it. Although they don't actually sleep on it yet. I changed their feeder to a big girl one that holds 30 lbs. although didn't put that much in it...maybe 5-10 lbs? So it would drop down right. Had to raise the top part for the crumbles, as they weren't feeding down right, but are now. I also am giving them probiotics, in their water, for the move, for any stress related issues. I stayed with them for about an hour to watch and make sure everyone was eating and drinking ok. It's getting dark, so I will sneak out in a bit to make sure everyone settled in for the night. They are usually asleep by 8:15 pm eastern time...might be a little later tonight, as I painted their coop white, so might stay lighter later in there, rather than in the cabin. Plus I placed the windows for maximum light advantage. We will see. They are NOT coming back inside. No matter what, well sickness excluded. But there are 15 of them and they do pretty good with helping each other. They are a flock after all!

Now I have to figure how to get this brooder box out of the cabin by myself ???

Well, off to sneak out and peak in the window to see if they are settled before true dark hits!

 

[mithious]

Ahhhggrr...they were all talking up a storm ( I stood outside to listen before looking ) and getting ready to settle in, in the group sleep huddle they always do, and dumb me, stuck my head too far up in the window and the little one saw me and started in again...shoot...I should've waited a bit longer. I was right. The white walls are keeping it lighter longer in their coop. Which is what I wanted, for the winter months...I'll wait a bit more, till true dark and take a flash light and check them.

 

[Papalote Roos]

Is there a hatchery in Texas with a good reputation for sexing their chicks correctly? Had bad results from TSC on their BR and RR.

 

[mithious]

Asleep!!! Took an extra 20 minutes but they are all doing the nightly pile and quiet...I shined the flash light in and a few look up, but no one, not even the little one, was making noise and they are set for the night with feed and clean water set for their morning wake up...about 4:00 am or so!!!

Tomorrow I won't have to get up at 4 am

I can sleep a few extra hours finally!!!! I'll go out and sit with them again at 6 am, after they have had their breakfast and play time! Knowing me, I'll prolly check on them a few more times before I go to bed too and early tonight!!!! LOL

 

[Rolltidern]

I'm thinking my only BR is going to be a roo, s/he's comb is pink!

 

[mithious]

I'm thinking my only BR is going to be a roo, s/he's comb is pink!

How old is your BR ? Do you have pictures? One of the moderators is great at sexing them. Wayyy better than me. I can see my own, as they stand out in the 15 I have, but I have a hard time with a picture of just one with no others to compare them to.

I read most of this thread and got some great ideas on how to tell and just watched them from day one, and from all the help on this thread was able to tell atleast two of mine are definitely cockerels and maybe one other but that one could go either way. Mine are 3 weeks from hatch tomorrow and I had them in my little cabin till today, so was able to see them lots!

My pullets feathered in really fast but the cockerels have most of their wing feathers, and tiny tails starting and a way grayer when I look at them. The barring I still can't do, nor the feet, but I also read on here that hatchery chicks do not always follow the rule for the feet and some don't on feathering color...still, I was able, after reading all the posts on this thread, to figure out which were which!

If you can, post a picture of you BR and someone should be able to tell you what it is.

Lots of great people and lots of great info from those great people on here also !!!!

I did post a few pictures, sorry they aren't the best quality, of one or two of my cockerels and a couple pullets...maybe you could look and see which one yours looks like? Others have done the same...just a few pages back too

Good luck and hoping for the best for all of you with your BR's. I love BR's, they are great birds to own. Would like, someday, to purchase heritage BR's...what awesome birds those are!!!!!

 

[Rolltidern]

Just about to change their litter & will try to get some pics

 

[mithious]

Is there a hatchery in Texas with a good reputation for sexing their chicks correctly? Had bad results from TSC on their BR and RR.

There is a list, somewhere on here. Sorry, but I am just to tired from all that went on today to search it out tonight, but if you want, you can search it on the top search bar? I don't remember if it has a list of how correct they are on sexing them, but you could check out a few. Usually their websites will tell you how accurate they are. I went through Hoffman Hatchery in Penn. and was really happy with the health, sexing, and customer service and the overall quality of hatchery birds I got. They are doing great. Not in Texas. But I am in NH and they shipped on a Monday and I received them Wednesday morning!

Good luck and sorry for your not so great TSC sexing!