Posted in Homestead Barnyard

I recently signed up for a wonderfully helpful newsletter with lots of info about chickens at The Self Sufficient Life. I've enjoyed reading it and thought you might appreciate reading this issue about how to tell the difference between boy & girl chicks. I hope you enjoy and check out the site and newsletter as well!
Blessings,
Nancy Carter
HomesteadBlogger Senior Editor
www.HomesteadBlogger.com



Hi Nancy,

Firstly I'd like to say thanks to everyone who has sent in [or promised to send in] their photos and stories. Keep 'em coming! I hope to be able to show off a subscriber coop in every newsletter. Today's comes from Steve and Caitlin who must have spent ages painting their colourful coop - it should certainly cheer the
chickens up on miserable days!: http://www.self-sufficient-life.com/u.php?9

I've had several queries over the past couple of weeks from subscribers asking how to tell the sex of their chicks. A lot of people only want hens [for eggs or because they are not allowed, or
do not want, the noise that comes with a rooster]. So pullets are ordered. However, sexing chicks is very hard to do with most breeds. Hatcheries employ professional chicken sexers. They use vent sexing
[squeezing them to make them poo and then observing whether they have a 'bump' inside their vent - bump=male, no bump=female], but some females do have small bumps, so even with a professional sexer most hatcheries will only guarantee a sexing accuracy of 90-95%. [It is not a method recommended for the rest of us to use by the way, and only really works with day old chicks anyway].

The only way to be sure of what you are getting when you order is to choose sex linked breeds. Black Sex Links are a cross between a Rhode Island Red or New Hampshire Red rooster and a Barred Rock
hen. Red Sex Links are a cross between a Rhode Island Red or New Hampshire Red rooster and a White Rock, Silver Laced Wyandotte, Rhode Island White or Delaware Hen.

The Black Sex Link female is a completely black chick
The Black Sex Link males are black with a white spot on the top of
their heads.
The Red Sex Link female hatches out a buff or red
The Red Sex Link males hatches out white.

If you haven't ordered sex link breeds and have ordered [for example] 25 pullets you are likely to have 2 or 3 roosters in there. But, how can you tell which is which?

GENERAL SIGNS

- Pullets usually get their wing and tail feathers before cockerels [in the first week or so].
- At around 5 to 6 weeks, sometimes sooner, you will see definite comb development on the cockerels in most breeds [it will start to redden, whilst the pullets will still be yellowy].
- At 2-3 months you will see the hackle feathers developing on the males. They will start to get longer and will be more pointed.
- Cockerels are usually braver - if you walk into your henhouse and accidentally sneeze, the pullets should be the ones that scattered!
- Cockerels have more pointed feather tips.
- Cockerels are usually bigger by a few weeks old.
- Pullets tend to have a smaller, round head, compared to the cockerels larger more angular one.
- Cockerels usually have longer legs [look for spur development].

All of these general signs are indications -  not certainties. There are always exceptions to the rule, and not all breeds will conform to the general signs. You may have a really friendly timid cockerel in your bunch masquerading as a pullet [and vice versa].

BREED SPECIFIC INDICATIONS

Barred Rocks and Cuckoo Marans - Males have wider white barring. They will often appear more silvery-gray than black. The males usually have a much larger, splotchier headspot.

Rhode Island Reds - By 5 weeks males have larger and thicker legs and a larger [pinkening] comb and wattle area.

Salmon Faverolles - By 2 weeks you can usually see a difference in the colours on the wings. Black should indicate a cockerel. Salmon brown should indicate a pullet.

Silkies - It Can be several months before signs start to appear. Boys tend to stand more erect and girls more likely to be short and squatty. If the feathers swoop back towards the neck on the crest,
then it is likely to be a boy.

White Crested Polish - The females tend to get more fluffy, mushroom looking crests.

OLD WIVES TALES - take with a pinch of salt!

If you pick a chick up with two fingers by the neck, the pullets will draw their legs up to their body and the cockerels legs will dangle.

Hold your chick on their back in your hand. If they stop kicking after a short time, it's a pullet, if they keep kicking it's a cockerel.

Needle and Thread - dangle the needle over your chick ... if it moves around and around it is a female, if it swings back and forth it is male - this is supposed to work for both chicks and eggs.

However you try to determine the sex of chicks you won't know for sure until it crows or lays an egg - but it can be a lot of fun finding out :-]

Okay, that's it for today!

As always, if you have any chicken related questions [or even tips, stories, coop photos etc. you'd like to share] then just reply back to this email address and I will do my best to include them in future issues of the newsletter.

Best Wishes
Gina

http://www.self-sufficient-life.com