Occasionally one or two of the chicks have accidentally ended up on the roost. Today was the first day the seem to notice it and know what to do. I believe at one time or another today, they’ve all been up there at least once.
This is a dumb question I’m sure but . . when will I know if one of them is a rooster? What will be the first signs? They’re all supposed to be girls and I figure the yellow ones are all girls. The brown ones . . if anyone is going to be a rooster, it will be one of them.
Peggy says
Judy if you really want to know if you have female chicks you can watch this video. http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/dirty-jobs-chicken-sexer.html I would say if you were told they are female that they are female.
Peggy says
This video will show you how to tell the sex, but I don’t think I would worry. If they said they are female I think they have had this test and are female. http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/dirty-jobs-chicken-sexer.html Sorry if I posted twice.
Carol Harper says
I just had to google to see if there was a way… and there is. Wait 4 to 6 weeks and the secondary sex characteristics will start to show.
Feather color requires special hybrids, and venting requires a professional who knows exactly what the cloaca of a male/female chicken looks like. yes, there are professional chicken “sexers”; because professional chicken farms feed females differently than males, it’s important to know early on who will be your layers.
Becky J in SD says
You are pretty much going to have to wait for thier grown up feathers to start coming in. Compare wattles and combs-the rooster’s wattles and combs will be bigger eventually but at this age the only way to tell involves lots of training and knowledge of avian anatomy. The folks who check things like that are pretty accurate (in my experience) but thier color has absolutly nothing to do with it-mom’s hens are just as colorful and pretty as the roosters.
Karen L says
I’m relying very old memories here………I think the boys will start developing combs and wattles that will be bright red somewhere between 6-8 weeks and of course they will be abit more aggressive. I think there are some other not so pleasent ways to tell, but we just waited for the combs and wattles to tell the real story and if we did have any males in our layer population, we just fed them until they were big enough to eat and we’d have fresh chicken for supper one night!!!!
Karen L
Mrs. Goodneedle says
Good luck figuring this one out! They’re growing like weeds!!
Joan says
I might be wrong as its been MANY years since I was a kid…….but I believe there is a way to tell by the feathers on their wings when they start coming in. I not sure of the specifics, but I remember being told that….
Karen says
You got me. My only experience with chickens was in my grandparents back yard many, many years ago. I guess if one starts to crow???
Karen
Vicky says
If one of them starts “cockle-do-a-do’g” one morning, you’ll know!
Maria Stahl says
Yep, wait for feathers. The feathers around the neck of a rooster are pointed at the ends, while the hen’s are rounded. You got sex-links, right? No worries there.
dee says
You’re so funny! So funny that Roger is reading your blog and asked me yesterday if I saw the video of the chicks. That really cracked me up.
Pat says
I have NO clue….but I did enjoy seeing the photo of that one on the roost.
CJ says
The surefire method? When one crows… it’s a boy. Hehehe
Shirley says
They like to eat grass so go out and pull them some. Then you can really laught at them. They do love it. Also if the rain has unearth some earthworms give them to them also.