Totally Confused...him or her???

[PUKpukPUK]

Hi..Our RIR are 14 weeks old and im still uncertain which ones are `hims` or `hers`? We bought a few Lohmann, 5-6 weeks old hens/female, from a reputable hatchery with a money back guarantee hould they not be hens.

How? What? why? when?...on earth does this hatchery know this?

thx
PuK

 

[Frazzemrat1]

Welcome to Back Yard CHickens!!! You came to the right place for help on this....

Post some pics, preferably in natural light, standing on their own. Backs, sides and combs.
Again, welcome!!!

 

[The Golden Egg5]

If you post some pictures we can give you an idea of what you have. Hopefully they are all females!

 

[lazy gardener]

An extended google search could not turn up a definite answer regarding the Lohmann Brown. I suspect that it is a sex linked hybrid, but could not find a definite answer. If it is, that is your answer regarding the sexing of the Lohmann. All the pullets would be reddish, and all of the cockerels would be mostly white. As for RIR, they fall into the pure bred category. They would be vent sexed at the hatchery. Some of the pure breeds are auto sexing depending on the skill of the observer, and the particular strain of the bird. Post pics, and we can help you out. Pics of each bird, including side view, comb view, pics of feet. helpful if all pics are numbered, ie: 3 pics of #1, 3 pics of #2, etc.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Hatcheries use professional vent sexers to sex day old chicks, killing the cockerel chicks and sending the pullet chicks to whatever feed store or person who ordered them. However, there is a 5-10% chance that they could send you a mis-sexed cockerel. Unless the chicken is sex-linked. Red sexlinks (Lohmann Browns, Red Stars, etc.) are easily identifiable as pullets or cockerels at hatch because the cockerel chicks are primarily white while the pullet chicks are reddish-brown.

 

[drumstick diva]

Post photos so we can take a look

 

[rebrascora]

@lazy gardener
Yes Lohmann Browns are another variety of red sex link. I wonder if they are more common here in the UK but less so in the states.

 

[lazy gardener]

I'm guessing so. I could not find much info, but assume they are essentially the same as the Isa Brown. However, my google search indicates that they have a better grow out rate for the cockerels.

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

@PUKpukPUK
Pictures please?

 

[PUKpukPUK]

Hi..many thanks for the reponse...a few pic for you.. noticed quite a change in feather color over the pass few days from light to a much darker brown(ish) . i will take a few close up pic when kids visit (my knees, back and eye-to-hand co-ordination to catch ckicks is comedy show on its own
these Lohnmanns are from a batch of about 200 chicks from the hatchery (and they have 100`s of others breeds of the same age chick, im assuming 90% of which are female) so im pretty convinced they emplyed a ''vent sexer''' to assist versus ''visual gestimating". I do understand that errors do occur aswell.

@lazy gardener...`have a better grow out rate for the cockerels` What does this mean??