Silkie Food: how to identify a baby chick

[marsmallowthesilkie]

Hey guys, do you know how to identify a baby chick? Here are a few strategies!
1. Crest Shape (only works for crested breeds): circular crest shape for pullets, square for cockerel
2. Legs (does not work for Dong Tao) skinny for pullets, thick for cockerel
3. Auto Sex or Sex Link: yes, yes you can sex some breeds by color!
4: behavior: males will chest bump with others, while females are a bit shy
5: feathers: probably the simplest way to sex a chicken!
6: crow or egg: second easiest!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Are you asking how to identify sex, breed, variety or all of the above? At day old or later?
One thing I can tell you is that both males and females chest bump as young birds.

 

[JustAChickenLoverOverHere]

Are you asking how to identify sex, breed, variety or all of the above? At day old or later?
One thing I can tell you is that both males and females chest bump as young birds.

Yeah, exactly.

 

[JustAChickenLoverOverHere]

And what do you mean by "Sikie Food"?

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Like your tips, though half of them would not be a reliable indicator of gender.

 

[marsmallowthesilkie]

And what do you mean by "Sikie Food"?

Just the name of this blog series

 

[marsmallowthesilkie]

One thing I can tell you is that both males and females chest bump as young birds.

I never had experience with females chest bumping, just Copper, my polish roo

 

[JustAChickenLoverOverHere]

I never had experience with females chest bumping, just Copper, my polish roo

Really? I have females chest bump all the time.

 

[marsmallowthesilkie]

Really? My females are a bit shy, and do not chest bump

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

Not trying to negative in the slightest, but many of these are correlation rather than causation. Some of these observations may be trends, but there are so many exceptions that spreading these sexing methods would likely confuse new keepers more. To me, sex feathering and comb size are the best indicators, rather than behavioral trends. Even crest shape can vary in hatchery birds, seen some rather crazy crests in pullets versus what I was used to. Leg size just seems to show how fast the chick is growing and how big it'll end up. I have had some thick-legged pullets and while often times cockerels will be a bit thicker, I wouldn't sex by this trait alone