Sexing Chicks

[fried green eggs]

I got 7 chicks at TSC last week at half off $ because they where getting in new chicks and these where week old - straight runs. They let me choose the ones I wanted. I feather sexed them to try to get 6 hens and 1 roo. They had 14 but, 6 had long wing feathers and tail feathers started. The rest had short wing feathers and tail was just a fuzzy butt. So either I got what I wanted or 6 roos and 1 hen. lol

Last year I bought 2 RIR from the pullet bin and ended up with a hen and a roo.

Update: the above chicks (BO) are now 4 weeks old and I am sure now that I have 7 little hens and 1 roo

!!! A week later I went back to TSC and bought 6 BR from straight run bin. I wanted 4 more pullets and 2 roos (to add to Meyer Hatchery pullets I had ordered) The head spots and dark leg wash didn't seem discern-able so, I feather sexed these too. Now at 2 wks old I am positive the BR TSC chicks are 2 roos and 4 hens! Feather sexing has worked 100 % for me!

 

[pinelilyfarm]

I have 4, 4 week old chicks now. I wanted all hens, but 2 have long tail feathers already and 2 just have the fuzzy butt. Do I have 2 pullets and 2 roos?

 

[highpointfarm]

I dont think so.. Two could just be different breeds? Or just maturing faster.

 

[pinelilyfarm]

They are all the same breed, Buff Orpingtons, came from the same feed store, same cage of 100 chicks. I am concerned that I have 2 roos since 2 have long tail feathers and 2 don't. I guess I'll have to wait until they get bigger, they are about 3 weeks old now. Any advice on how I can sex them? I really needed all pullets.

 

[pinelilyfarm]

I have 4, 3 week old chicks. 2 have long tail feathers and wing feathers, 2 have had fuzzy butts, but just recently have little tail stubs coming in. Do I have 2 roos and 2 pullets ya, think?

 

[fried green eggs]

What do the combs look like?

 

[chkinut]

Update: the above chicks (BO) are now 4 weeks old and I am sure now that I have 7 little hens and 1 roo

!!! A week later I went back to TSC and bought 6 BR from straight run bin. I wanted 4 more pullets and 2 roos (to add to Meyer Hatchery pullets I had ordered) The head spots and dark leg wash didn't seem discern-able so, I feather sexed these too. Now at 2 wks old I am positive the BR TSC chicks are 2 roos and 4 hens! Feather sexing has worked 100 % for me!

yes! this has worked for me in the past too! i can usually tell by the time they are 7 - 10 days old. BUT i hatched out a bunch of local eggs for a man a know. 20 hatched....so i gave him 10 and i kept 10. now out of the 10 i have, they are 2 weeks old and i still can't really tell. cuz when they started feathering out, they all feathered out like hens. i cant be that lucky?!!?? so i'm waiting LONGER so i can see which is which.

 

[laughingdog52]

An older gentleman at the feed store told me that he holds them on their backs in the palm of his hand, and the one who don't resist are the girls. Anyone hear of this?? I paid for 90% pullets last year and got way too many roos

which I could not keep. These were my first chickens in 20 years, and by the time I heard them crowing, I had put a lot of time and $ into them. Had to find them new "homes"

.

 

[CraftyChicky]

When I picked up my chicks, the breeder held them in one hand, and gently patted or palpated the genital area of the chicks and determined which were which that way??? I don't know why I didn't ask him exactly what he was feeling for. I could probably guess...

 

[dirtbagchickens]

Hi, anyone have an update to thier sexing methods? its been about nine months since these last posts so you should definately know what you got.

thanks