Sexing straight runs

[Cmp211]

Hi friends,
So first off I know nothing is 100% accurate. Besides someone who professionally sexes chicks.

My questions is how accurate have you personally found that sexing by wing feathers and tail feathers?

My current flock (8) will be a week old tomorrow and I have 2 straight runs and the rest are hens. They are different breeds, which I know goes into consideration. For my hens I have 3 black giant jerseys and 3 laced wyandottes, 1 straight run buff Orpington and 1 straight run americauna. My two straight runs have very short wing feathers and no tail feathers yet. My hens all have long wing and tail feathers, they also have alternating feather lengths in their wings. While the straight runs do not.

What are your personal experiences???

 

[nuthatched]

Wings and tails are not indicators of gender. you'll watch for cimb and wattle development around 6-8 weeks

 

[Cmp211]

Anyone else have any options on this??

 

[Ecarroll]

Anyone else have any options on this??

I agree with @nuthatched, you can’t sex by wing feathers if the strain of birds is not bred for that. Wait until 6-8 weeks and post pictures here, we can help you figure it out useing comb and wattle development. Good luck with your chicks!

 

[PrettyBirdRocky]

Keep a journal of it, for your own, and they more you use it, you can get at least some predictions.

I have done it -- FOR FUN -- with our groups of straight runs and hatching eggs, and so far it's been accurate count. Even out of the pullet bin(had one with different wing shape and he turned out to be a roo).

BUT ... Just for fun, just for me, and I watch them constantly so it's neat to see. It just gave us an idea of, hey 3 have this 3 have that, and it turned out we had three of each. But didn't get rid of any until after 8- 12 weeks, but with some combs/wattles pop up early. Don't use as a way to dispatch early, because we had one pullet who had a comb to rival a cockerel!

Black Australorp
Light Brahma
Buff Brahma
Easter eggers/crosses

 

[PoppasGrill]

We tried taking the hatchlings at 1-5 days old and flipping them, in your palm, onto their backs. If they draw their legs up it’s a pullet, splayed our legs is cockerel.
Was accurate for 8 out of 10, but just watching them grow and figuring it out is part of the fun of chickens.
We have a Polish Roo named Elvira!! He was #9 in the experiment