Sight Sexing Barred Plymouth Rock Chicks at Hatch

It is quite the favorite of the brooder. I have 11 other chicks cuter, fluffier but this one begs to come out and charm the grandkids.
Thats nice, you could ask neighbours if allowed to keep a rooster. Thats what ive done. I put my rooster usually in a triangle hutch and put a few old towels tarp and blanket over it to block the light. If he crows before dawn its muffled i dont let him out till suns out. The neighbours seem fine with him
 
Hey everyone ive had maran chicks hatch and they look like barred rocks, are they dot sexable too by thing on head
 

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Please tell me this isn’t a boy
 

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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:

900x900px-LL-3ec3475c_BarredRocks056.jpeg

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:

BookReaderImages.php

Examples above are different male head spots

BookReaderImages.php

Above are examples of different types of female head spots.

See bellow pictures of day olds in colour.
900x900px-LL-604e1ed1_male-chicks.jpeg

Above Males

900x900px-LL-8538db45_female-chicks.jpeg

Above Females

900x900px-LL-98a84a4b_barred-rock-sexing-feet.jpeg

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.
LL
 
I am wondering if my chicks are male or female. After reading this thread, I fear all males. I can’t keep roosters in my county, so I am hoping I’m wrong… they are so cute.
D110C5D3-0DBB-4294-AA43-22F1F480F179.jpeg
 

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