sexing chicks

[pjdean]

Hey there,
We are new to the Chicken game and loving every minute of it. We have 2 BR's and one RIR both about 5 weeks. Any tips for sexing these guys as we would love to know if we are dealing with Hens or Roos here. I tried posting pics but since Im a new user the system would not let me do it. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide, love this site.

 

[TGarcia]

I've always had to wait for the crow to know if it is male or female. I know alot pf people claim they can tell...but it's not 100%.

 

[pjdean]

Thats what Im afraid of! About what age can you expect a crow? Thanks.

 

[TGarcia]

That is really just a guessing game when it comes to WHEN they will crow. Post some pics and I'm sure some one that has better knowledge on this can give you an idea of what they think. Alot of times you can tell as they get older....I have no idea on this... cause I have not raised enough babies of that breed to even guess from a pic.

 

[TigerLilly]

My BR roo didn't crow until he was 7-8 mos old. I was able to tell he was a roo much sooner than that by his tail feathers & the way they curve. Unfortunately, mine was about 4-5 months old when that happened. I'm still trying to learn what the 'saddle feathers' are & what makes them different for roo's & hens...

 

[Illia]

At 5 weeks, the best thing you can do is post photos of them on BYC here for us, and many of us can sex them for you.

5 weeks old is a perfectly good time for single combed breeds like Reds and Barred Rocks.

 

[Luvroos]

I have a RIR roo and had thought that he were a she until he began to crow and had other well known roos also that were crowing long before Reds!

 

[Louise's Country Closet]

I know it doesn't apply to ALL chickens because some do like to play the wrong sex, lol, but for ours I noticed that the combs grow a lot faster on the roosters than the hens and I can usually start to pick out the males by 5 weeks at least. Maybe mine just didn't want to be sneaky on me lol

 

[pjdean]

Here are some pics of our chicks. Thanks for helping identify the Roos if any


1. Avery:

2. Oreo

3. Max

 

[kcaywood]

I'm going to guess that Avery is a roo, and Oreo and Max are pullets. Those two look like my BR pullet, Tilly (RIP, felled by Marek's). Good luck! I'm anxious to hear what the more seasoned members think.