Sexing Chicks at two weeks old

[JillsChicks]

My cross breed chicks will be two weeks old on Wednesday. I can't believe how a couple are feathering out so quickly. I think these two are Delaware crosses. I'd love to post pics but still can't get my Kodak Easy Share to sense that there are pics in the device and have spent hours trying...

My girl friend who used to raise chickens said to watch the tail feathers. The ones whose tail feathers stick straight up will be roosters. Is this so? If it is, I'm thinking I've only got three hens out of eight birds! I'll be broken hearted if I have any more than two roosters - I want one and my friend wants one - the rest will be chicken stew?! I've bonded with each of these little birds; I play with them several times a day and weigh them. They know me as mom. I'm patient about letting them out of the dog kennel to run around the dining room (with linoleum floor) and cleaning up their poop. They are so wonderful. I don't think I could ever eat Prima, Golden, Rocky, Feathers, Buck Buck, Dottie, General Lee or Buffy.

 

[lurky]

Just thought i'd tell ya that i have an EE that has had 'her' tail feathers sticking up more than my roo.......so dont get too upset worrying about it yet. One thing i am learning is to just enjoy them now and worry about that later. What will be, will be and no need getting a headache over it now. (thats to me not you) but you can use it

 

[schmoo]

My chickens tail feathers didn't really start sticking up until 6 to 8 weeks or so. At 8 weeks I can see there may be a couple of unexpected roos, but I want to be positive before I give them up. Their wattles and combs still seem to be looking the same as the hens. :|

 

[speckledhen]

Not necessarily. Didn't work with any breed I have ever had except the Speckled Sussex, whose cockerels' tails seem to actually be set different and are very, well, perky.