Sight Sexing Barred Plymouth Rock Chicks at Hatch

[connieconnie]

So the Barred Plymouth Rock chicks have just turned a week old!
Here are the photos of the chicks today. I would appreciate any guess or opinion on what each chick's sex might be,
HEN OR ROO?!
THANK YOU!

Chick 1 (left) and Chick 3 (right) - feet
View attachment 2104006View attachment 2104007

Chick 1 (right) and Chick 3 (left) - head spot
View attachment 2104009

Chick 1 - wing feathers
View attachment 2104010

Chick 3 - wing feathers
View attachment 2104015

Chick 2 (left) and chick 4 (right) - feet
View attachment 2104018

Chick 2 (bottom/right) and chick 4 (top/left) - headspot
View attachment 2104019

Chick 2 - wing feathers
View attachment 2104025

Chick 4 - wing feathers
View attachment 2104031

THANK YOU <3
(these chicks are so chill, they all fell asleep in my hand while I took photos We've affectionately nicknamed Chick 1 'Godzilla' as she is almost double the size of chick 3, was born first with huge amounts of energy and is the first to do anything - runs in like a dinosaur But we'll have to change that as it's not the most cute name! Any name suggestions for these chicks?)

A bit on their behavior:
Chick 1: The first chick to do anything, also the biggest and most curious. Will run over when they see you, will climb in hand if put in brooder. Loves being held and eating anything.
Chick 2: The smallest (half the size of chick 1), not crazy about food (will not go into a frenzy and dive into the group when the others are eating). Sleeps more than the others, and is more shy. Super sweet looking but not the brightest. She/he doesn't like trying new things and would rather just cuddle up to chick 1 (best friends). I do worry about this chick, as she/he hatched from a much smaller egg and just doesn't seem as fit and healthy as the others. Darkest in coloring, but also yellowest legs.
Chick 3: Fit, healthy and is right behind chick 1 in doing anything. Likes being held and will also climb into hand if put into the brooder.
Chick 4: Very similar in look, size and health as chick 3. However not a cuddler, doesn't enjoy being held as much (runs away from the hand). But once in hand will fall asleep just as quick as the others.

 

[connieconnie]

Here are the photos if the attachments in the previous post didn't work

Chick 1,2,3 and 4,
HEN OR ROO?
THANK YOU

 

[Destinyrae]

Can anyone tell by these headshots if these are pullets or cockerels? I chose the ones with the darkest coloring on body and legs/feet but their head spots are still large and everything I read says if their head spots are large it’s a cockerel and I really hope that’s not the case.

 

[chickiemama27]

I notice a lot of misconceptions about sexing Barred Plymouth Rocks, and I wanted to make a post on just that. They can be sexed at hatch by a combination of down colour, head spot, and leg pigment.

It's not just one of these things, but a combination of them. However, once chicks are feathered out they are relatively easy to sex based on overall colour unless you have the Stukel or Good Shepherd line of Barred Plymouth Rocks (you most likely do not have this line, so these tips are valid for you).

Example of fully feathered colour difference before any other sex characteristics are shown:

Photo Credit

Pullets are overall darker than Cockerels due to having only one copy of the barring gene. Cockerels have two copies and this provides them with more white in between the black bars, giving them the appearance of being a shade lighter.

Hens pass down a copy of the barring gene to their son ONLY. The Cock passes down a gene to both his sons, and his daughters.


Let's give you some pointers on sexing these chicks once they are hatched and dried off. I came across a really helpful article dated February 1941 - so this is not a new trick. It is tried and true. I have successfully sexed my chicks based on this method:

Examples above are different male head spots

Above are examples of different types of female head spots.

See bellow pictures of day olds in colour.

Above Males

Above Females

Leg pigment colour difference: Females darker, males lighter

Now take into consideration that this works best for common Barred Plymouth Rocks. Exhibition Rocks are much trickier to sex at hatch.

It's not about the SIZE of the head spot, but rather the definition of the head dot.

An example of one of my MALE chicks at hatch. Small head dot, but not defined. Half circle of cream was visible on head.

So this is likely a female then?

 

[connieconnie]

So the chicks are now 2 weeks old!
Here are the new photos. All are doing well and healthy, chick 2 is still the runt of the litter (half the size of the others). And chick 1 is still the Godzilla (the biggest one).

Chick 1 (nicknamed Godzilla) - potential Roo? (please tell me I'm wrong, I love this chick) As has more yellow coloring in beak and legs and the most defined stripes in feathering, however is at least a day ahead in development, very confident and loves people

Chick 2 (nicknamed Dodo as she/he is not the smartest) - potential Roo? (the families favorite so please tell me I'm wrong again) As also has more yellow coloring in beak and legs, although generally darker in baby feathering, I this is because they're just so much smaller than the others, also some of the feathers just coming through are almost all white... Which the others all came through black.

Chick 3 (no nickname yet) - potential hen? - Very sweet and docile, darker legs and beak with mostly black feathering,very little white.

Chick 4 (no nickname yet) - potential hen? Little more shy and skittish than the others, but second biggest chick, darker legs and beak with mostly black feathering, some white.

I am guessing here, so would really appreciate other's opinions! Thank you Will keep photographing them every week till we know if they're hens or roos

 

[connieconnie]

So this is likely a female then?

I don't know much at all, but to me, she looks female but I would check with others, as I'm a newbie

 

[Long legs]

Girl or boy? About 4weeks old

Here is the latest photos of the little Plymouth Rock chick. Do we still think Roo? I’m still hoping for a pullet. Is a lovely calm and friendly little chicken

 

[Sherrysrocks]

I notice a lot of misconceptions about sexing Barred Plymouth Rocks, and I wanted to make a post on just that. They can be sexed at hatch by a combination of down colour, head spot, and leg pigment.

It's not just one of these things, but a combination of them. However, once chicks are feathered out they are relatively easy to sex based on overall colour unless you have the Stukel or Good Shepherd line of Barred Plymouth Rocks (you most likely do not have this line, so these tips are valid for you).

Example of fully feathered colour difference before any other sex characteristics are shown:

Photo Credit

Pullets are overall darker than Cockerels due to having only one copy of the barring gene. Cockerels have two copies and this provides them with more white in between the black bars, giving them the appearance of being a shade lighter.

Hens pass down a copy of the barring gene to their son ONLY. The Cock passes down a gene to both his sons, and his daughters.


Let's give you some pointers on sexing these chicks once they are hatched and dried off. I came across a really helpful article dated February 1941 - so this is not a new trick. It is tried and true. I have successfully sexed my chicks based on this method:

Examples above are different male head spots

Above are examples of different types of female head spots.

See bellow pictures of day olds in colour.

Above Males

Above Females

Leg pigment colour difference: Females darker, males lighter

Now take into consideration that this works best for common Barred Plymouth Rocks. Exhibition Rocks are much trickier to sex at hatch.

It's not about the SIZE of the head spot, but rather the definition of the head dot.

An example of one of my MALE chicks at hatch. Small head dot, but not defined. Half circle of cream was visible on head.

How can you tell in 1 month old chick's. .I wish I seen your post when I brought hem home..lol interesting though..I'll know for next time..because we all know..that there will be a next time lol be safe

 

[connieconnie]

So they're now 3 weeks old!

Chick 1 - top of the pecking order - potential Roo? As pretty chunky, clear barring and confident

Chick 2 - still the smallest, the last to develop wing feathers, spunky, despite being the slowest to develop already has a the biggest comb, the only chick for their first wings feathers to actually come out majority white (all others started off 100%black) - potential Roo?

Chick 3 - the most docile and calm, bottom of the pecking order, fully black wing feathers that developed first and fast, no white barring yet - Pretty sure this one is a hen

Chick 4 - last born, but second biggest, pretty flightly in comparison to the others, doesn't settle easy, less barring in feathering than chick 1 and 2 but still have white parts to feather (although majority is black) - hoping this one is a hen, but have a bad feeling it's another Roo

what do you think? Would love to here others opinions!

 

[connieconnie]

The chicks are now 4 weeks old!

Thinking we have 2 cockerels and 2 hens What's your opinion? Do you agree?

Here are the photos:

CHICK 1 - Godzilla - potential male

CHICK 2 - Dodo - definite male

CHICK 3 - Pepper - definite female

CHICK 4 - Piri Piri - potential female

here they all are together: