What are my Rocks? Boy or Girl

[FlockMama]

Hi all. I have two 3-4 week old baby barred rocks. I got them from a breeder who is more than willing to exchange them for a pullet if they are roos. Anyway, I have taken lots of pics but they aren't really good enough to tell the gender. So one of the BR's is already showing pink in the comb (whichthe comb is also twice the size of the other BR) and also showing large wattles already. I was going to bring the little chicky back to the breeder ans try and swap one for a hen. The little chook is chasing the other around the brooder all the time too. The barring is a little different too.....

Let me know what you all think. I know pics help a bunch and I will see if I can get some better ones later today....

Thanks

edited for spelling.....

 

[Happy Chooks]

I don't see any pics. Females will be mostly black with white edging and males will be more white with black edging.

Cockeral:

Same cockeral, but older:

Older pullet:

Hope that helps.

 

[FlockMama]

Okay here is a couple pics.... Sunny and Cher ( Seems I named Sunny -yes ment to spell it that way - wants to be a boy!)


The one in question is the one on the left closest to the camera. It's not the greatest pic but you can see the comb and wattles.

The one in question is the one laying down closest to the camera......

New2Chooks - Thanks for the info it kind of helps. Actually I think I have seen those pics on here before. It seems mine had not as much white barring.....

 

[LittleMamaBigPapa]

cute. they are colored like pullets according to newchooks, but those combs sure seem big for their age? I am getting one BR & one BO chick next week!!

 

[FlockMama]

Any more ideas?

 

[LindsayB]

I would wait one more week or so until they get a few more feathers. Does the one laying down have less feathering than the other one? That could be a clue. My barred rock had a ton of white on it and once the feathers came in she darked up alot. Her comb was pretty large for a chick but she is a pullet. But I would wait a while longer and see what happens. Maybe Speckedhen can help you out. She helped me out when I was trying to sex mine. You can probably go back 3 or 4 days and find the post on my BR lol. they can be tricky!

 

[Backyard Hencam]

This was on a post some time ago. It might help you.

Historical Document
Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station

SEX IDENTIFICATION IN PUREBREDS
BARRED PLYMOUTH ROCKS

It had long been recognized that the size of the light head
spots in Barred Plymouth Rocks varied in the two sexes. The
males tend to have larger headspots and the females to have
darker colored legs. However, this method has not been sufficiently
accurate to be of much commercial value.
Quinn and Knox (1939) attempted to separate the sexes of
Barred Plymouth Rocks by means of the intensity of the black
pigment in the down and legs. In different lots of chicks they
report 83.5, 86.1 and 91.8 percent accuracy.
Jerome (1939) describes a method of sex identification in
Barred Plymouth Rocks based upon the regularity of the outline
of the head spot rather than the size of the spot. Those chicks
having headspots irregular in outline and scattered in appearance
are males while the females tend to have headspots with
more regular outlines. The author claimed an accuracy of 90
percent or better when considering only the headspot and 95
percent if the color of the legs was included in the consideration.
The Canadian Department of Agriculture (Anonymous 1941)
issues an excellently illustrated bulletin describing the method.
It is stated in the bulletin that the method “is widely practiced
in Barred Rock chicks by commercial chick sexers.” Sex identification
is based upon outline of head spot, color of legs and
shade of down color. There are several types of male and female
head spots some of which are shown in Figure 1.​

 

[LindsayB]

this is my BR when it was a young chick. everything about it says cockerel... alot of white on body and head, yellow legs, slow feathering.

Here it is now at 4 weeks..it is a pullet and much darker. the legs color even changed and is alot darker.

 

[FlockMama]

Thanks for the responses and pics.

Funny, Sunny whom I think is the roo is feathering much slower then the other and is much darker then the other. But the other chick Cher is looking like the last picture LindsayB posted.

This is so tough. I can exchange it for a pullet (I would love to have a roo but am not allowed where I live) but wanted to do it the earlier the better so the two chicks can grow up together.

Okay here are some (I hope better) pics.....

Sunny chick #1 (sorry it's kinda blurry)

Cher chick #2

Thanks again

 

[LindsayB]

its feet are really dark and so are the feathers, but the comb is very red. I think its a girl, but I'm only guessing lol. I would wait for someone more experienced to respond.