Sexing Delaware Chicks How to?

[E.G.Glayer]

Does any one know how to sex Delaware chicks? Thanks in advance.

 

[speckledhen]

You'll have to wait about 4 weeks. The boys have much more black in the shoulder area (which molts out later to a degree) and thicker legs. They will develop barring in the tail while pullets have black edged with white tailfeathers, generally. I have pics of mine, but I'll have to check on them and see if I have some good examples. Are yours hatchery or breeder stock?

 

[speckledhen]

Here are some pics for you of some I hatched last year:

 

[E.G.Glayer]

Thanks for the response, I ordered them from McMurray 6 pullets and 1 roo along with 6 giant pullets, 6 new hamp pullets, and 6 barred rock pullets. I will just have to trust he is in there for a while. I know I dont need a roo but they are so entertaining and some folks I talked to said these should be as doscile as any could be so I went ahead and got one.

 

[shelleyb1969]

I hatched out some Delawares a few months back...their parents came from McMurray. I must say that mine are super friendly and docile....they love to be picked up and pet. And they're actually looking pretty good as far as type and color. So hopefully after their first molt and some age on them, they'll look even better. I've heard that hatchery stock Delawares can be aggressive, but that definitely hasn't been my experience with them at all.

 

[speckledhen]

I hope yours are sweet birds. The "Vampire Chicks" I had a year ago were from McMurray parentage. Flightly, super-aggressive, even at 4 weeks old. Hopefully the bad strain is gone. When a breeder I know approached me about hatching some for a fertility test for one of her up and coming cockerels, I hesitated because of my experience with them. Hers are like a different breed from the hatchery Dels. Watch those because hatcheries often crossed Delawares with Columbian Rocks and messed them up pretty good.

 

[mommaofmany]

So, we have A Delaware, along with our Welsummers, Brahmas and a Barred Rock, they are all about 4 wks old. The Delaware is significantly taller then the rest and tries to peck when we stick our hands in. The rest of the birds are placid and friendly. The feed store we bough all but the BR at told me that they only buy pullets. Can you sex Delawares at birth? Should I be watching for this one to show roo traits?