Topic of the Week - Sexing Chicks

[Phaedra Winters]

Banty chooks said:
"Your best indicator is personality combined with physical signs."
(for some reason, my quote function isn't working at the moment) Very good information in that post from Banty chooks IMO.

I agree - with everything Banty chooks said, you will get to know your breed and your flock and be able to tell better and better with time.

That said... I'm completely spoiled and have autosexing breeds for the most part and will going forward. Here are some photos that show a bit of the 'attitude' in chicks that are just a day or two old:

Looks a little more shy/coy -- if she had eyelashes she would bat them = girl. She's saying "Am I cute or what?"*

Looks a little more 'in your face' -- and proud....more noticable comb even at this baby age...= boy. This chick grew up to be a rooster. He's saying "Are you looking at me?"
Of course hindsight is always 20/20. The "tell" on these is that she has crisp separation in her chick-down stripes -- notice above her eyes the color demarkation, his are more blended and diffuse -- notice less clear, crisp stripe.

Question regarding Dominique and BPR - I think the poster was referring to the sexable headspots that some of the lines have and not the fast or slow feathering..... Only certain breeds can be feather-sexed from what I understand...not just all chickens generally.

My variety gets a headspot for males at hatch time -- and that comes from the barring in their genetic background.

ETA - *Sometimes the little boy chicks are also awfully cute/sweet.

Good topic Suni! Thanks.

What breed is that? I for the main part have experience in sexing Rhode Island Reds.

 

[ChicKat]

2nd bird says male to me for some reason. Too young for any definitive answer, especially based off photos.

to my eye -- the same result, the second one seems to have a bigger comb and more prominent -- very cute chicks!

How do hatcheries sex day old chicks? I know it's not a perfect science but there must be something to it to make it relatively reliable. Related: what has everyone's "success rate" with day-old sexed chicks been?

As BantyChooks said - vent sexing. Here's a BYC thread on it with picture in post 2
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/vent-sexing.363133/ That being said, my eyes haven't really seen a vent difference in chicks that I've looked at...and other diagrams that I've seen from photos - rather than that drawing -- they all look about the same to me.
Grabbed this image from a google search :

What breed is that? I for the main part have experience in sexing Rhode Island Reds.

If the question is about the two chicks in the photos I posted...they are a "variety" that I'm developing in a project. Crossing Legbars with Isabel Leghorns. I Have a really long thread about the project - PM me and I'll send a link to you if you are interested. ;O)
Briefly, they are Lavender Patterned Isabel duckwing - barred. Nice birds, partly because the Isabels that I got for the project were just outstanding chicks.



ETA - don't get me started on Google because I found this:
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/chick-sexers-earn-40000-yearso-5267241
says that the vent sexer has about 3-seconds per chick, and there are only (at the time of the article) 100-150 vent sexers in the UK and they earn 40-thousand pounds per year.
Watched that little video, I couldn't do that to a chick.... glad that there are autosexing breeds for sure!!

 

[BantyChooks]

As BantyChooks said - vent sexing. Here's a BYC thread on it with picture
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/vent-sexing.363133/

That's on waterfowl, though; male chooks don't have quite as prominent 'bits'.

 

[ChicKat]

That's on waterfowl, though; male chooks don't have quite as prominent 'bits'.

Thanks, I didn't even notice that part of the post!!

 

[sunflour]

How do hatcheries sex day old chicks? I know it's not a perfect science but there must be something to it to make it relatively reliable. Related: what has everyone's "success rate" with day-old sexed chicks been?

I only have experience with 10 - but all were females

 

[drumstick diva]

What about Sebrights? The males are henny feathered? Any early clues about them?

 

[lazy gardener]

I have had EE roo x Pioneer hen chicks that could all be sexed based on leg color: the cockerels all had yellow legs, and the barring pattern seen in the pure Pioneer cockerels, while the pullets had willow colored legs, as seen in the pure Pioneer pullets. Some breeds have subtle differences that can be used as an indicator. Rir, if the chick has any marking on the head is supposed to be female. Not all RIR females have this marking, but NO males have it.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

What about Sebrights? The males are henny feathered? Any early clues about them?

I bought 3 sebright pullets last summer. They all were the same size and had the exact same feathering. About a month later I caught one of the “pullets” doing the rooster dance. Needless to say he got rehomed that week. So to answer your question I don’t think there are any early clues, you’ll have to wait and see for wattle and comb developement.

 

[lilmillefleur]

One thing to mention too is that with some breeds that have the wheaten, partridge, birchen or duckwing patterns, you can tell the sex by the time they get their adult feathers in at about 6-8 weeks. Males have red shoulders and black (or blue or whatever) bellies while females do not. This is accurate in some EE, faverolles, welsummer, marans, etc.

 

[2chookchooks]

to my eye -- the same result, the second one seems to have a bigger comb and more prominent -- very cute chicks!