Author Topic: How do i sex chicks/ (Read 2622 times)

apple and sauce · « **on:** January 26, 2010, 01:45:30 pm »

I incubated some eggs at christmas and 2 Orpingtons and 1 Wynadotte hatched.Any clues on how to sex them?

harry · « **Reply #1 on:** January 26, 2010, 03:31:03 pm »

look at them the larger slightly more upright ones will be the cocks with a more upright tail feathers the flatter ones should be hens... i hatched 6 orpingtons, i wanted a cockeral i sold the others and kept what looked liked a cockeral by the above method.... a few weeks later it looked more like a hen, i tried to contact the buyer as i only wanted a cock, couldnt trace them but a few weeks on something tried a throaty crow i looked and it was the orpington so it was a cockeral after all. genaraly i think the bigger ones should be cockerals. ime no expert

xnbacon · « **Reply #2 on:** January 26, 2010, 04:28:53 pm »

Wait a few months till they start to crow, but make sure you're watching at the time, or like me you'll be eyeing up 3 potential cockerals and still not know!!

Alternately watch the way the combs/wattles grow, the boys are bigger, sooner.

You can tell via the colouring sometimes, its quite an interesting study, but breeds where the male and female look alike are quite problematical unless you're experienced.

little blue · « **Reply #3 on:** January 26, 2010, 09:44:08 pm »

dont know about your breeds, but when we had 2 hamburgs and a minorcan, a 'google images' search eventually helped!
( Minorcan cockerel, hamburgs one of each... the hen we kept but she crows! so don't rely on it)