Sexing Barred Rocks

[Izzymoon]

you have a beautiful flock.

 

[what did I do]

This is interesting. I'm hatching Barred Rocks today and some are sold. I have some older Barred Rocks hens sold too. I hope we are able to pick out the hens from the older bunch. The young ones are sold as straight run.

 

[proudchickiemom]

Quote: Thanks, now I get it! And another question, what does it mean when your hen "goes broody'?

 

[Izzymoon]

Broody hen: It means she wants to lay on the eggs and not move around with the rest of the flock. Sometimes even without any eggs. Broody hens can get very upset when you try and take their eggs away from them. You can either remove them from the coop, or block off the area if she's the only hen. If there's more than one, then you should take her out and put her in a different cage for a day or two so she snaps out of it.

This is all a case of no rooster ( so no chicks to hatch) or no eggs at all that she is laying on. Either situation requires action, because in the case of more hens, she won't let any other hens sit and lay eggs in "her" nest.

 

[highpointfarm]

The best way to tell, is when they start to crow, or drop eggs... i have had chickens I coulda sworn were little roos, huge red comb, Bright red wattles, and what do you know, She started to give me a egg a day =]

 

[proudchickiemom]

Broody hen: It means she wants to lay on the eggs and not move around with the rest of the flock. Sometimes even without any eggs. Broody hens can get very upset when you try and take their eggs away from them. You can either remove them from the coop, or block off the area if she's the only hen. If there's more than one, then you should take her out and put her in a different cage for a day or two so she snaps out of it.

This is all a case of no rooster ( so no chicks to hatch) or no eggs at all that she is laying on. Either situation requires action, because in the case of more hens, she won't let any other hens sit and lay eggs in "her" nest.

Thanks for the info...I have 23 chicks that are roughly 2-3 1/2 weeks old, so now I know for the future, what to look for, and what to do!

 

[Avonshire]

OK I have a single BR It is 2 weeks old tomorrow. Here are some pics:

 

[StormyMoon]

I believe that is a pullet you will be able to tell more as time goes by. I have forgotten the rules someone can correct me if I am wrong.
Boys have a more brighter white dot more defined , girls tend to be more faded out and not as well defined circle like a dot.

Someone once told me you can also tell by the legs if there is a black line down the front of the leg.
Not sure if these are myths or not but this is how i tell my pullets from roos.

If the comb starts to get pink or waddles appear to go pink then its a roo

Girls only go red just before laying age.

OK I have a single BR It is 2 weeks old tomorrow. Here are some pics:

 

[StormyMoon]

Thats true the boys do look grey and the girls are darker

The head spot begins to blur after a few days, so I find it reliable mostly at hatch up to day 5. Cockerels are lighter, charcoal, while the pullets are generally darker black in appearance. The leg streak is iffy, as hatchery stock is just that way.

What is certain is this. You'll know in just a few weeks with virtual certainty. The cockerels will feather in bright, bold and very sharp contrast between large white bars. The pullets will be dark. Their bars will take much more time to come in. At first, the pullets are more specked than barred. The cockerels will also show pink/red in the comb at 4-5 weeks. The pullet's comb will stay yellow. The cockerels will also sprout little, red wattles by 5 weeks. So, you will know for certain very, very soon. BRs are easy to sex at 4-5 weeks. The difference is stark.

 

[soukilee93]

10 weeks old now....Here they are on the roost. The new coop should be done in the next couple of days and everyone will have plenty of room.

From left to right (Spaz, Fizz, Sweetie, Idunno, Blue)

A little better shot of Spaz, Fizz, and partial of Sweetie.

And of course, our favorite looks to be a roo (Punkin) and Zucchini, one of my laying hens, had to get in on this shot.