Baby Chickens - Boys or Girls?

Chicka-Dee · **Joined:** Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:12 am **Posts:** 1194

Hi All

I have been trying to find out if my babies are boys or girls so I thought I would start this post for others who are not sure if their babies are boys or girls either.

I'll continue to post their progress until eventually either someone can give me a defiinite answer or until one of them crows or lays an egg as proof of gender.

I have talked to a few people who have said different things about Aracuana's and how to tell the difference but most have said you really can't until they crow or lay an egg, but some times breeders who deal with a particular breed all the time have a way of knowing straight away.

Happy to read anyone's comments if you think you can shed some light on the sex of my babies.

C.K · **Posted:** Sun Aug 04, 2013 12:29 pm

Lolly a pullet and pickle Boy ?
Really I can't tell till about 16 weeks of age
some are obvious early others you just can't pick till then.

Chicka-Dee · **Joined:** Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:12 am **Posts:** 1194

C.K. wrote:

Lolly a pullet and pickle Boy ?.

That's what I would like to know too :-D

C.K. wrote:

Really I can't tell till about 16 weeks of age
some are obvious early others you just can't pick till then.

So what is different at 16 weeks?

C.K · **Posted:** Sun Aug 04, 2013 3:56 pm

The pea comb is much more red in the males and most males will have the pointy neck and sickle feathers coming in by that age.
if I get time I will grab a pic for you.

skyfallsfarm · **Joined:** Sat Aug 03, 2013 2:42 pm **Posts:** 1

At a pure guess based on the colouring I think lolly is a cockerel

Chicka-Dee · **Joined:** Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:12 am **Posts:** 1194

C.K. wrote:

The pea comb is much more red in the males and most males will have the pointy neck and sickle feathers coming in by that age.
if I get time I will grab a pic for you.

That would be awsome, if you could that would be great than657

skyfallsfarm wrote:

At a pure guess based on the colouring I think lolly is a cockerel

You know I've been thinking the same thing. Just so many little things but then today Pickle made a warning sound when there was a big bird in the sky and Lolly dove for under cover. So brave!!!

Question:
How much does anyone buy in to the whole...When you tip up a bird and if their tail fans out its a girl & if it doesn't its a boy...thing.

I just saw a vid on UTube where this kid was showing this is how he tells the boys from girls when they are young. So of course I went out and tried it and Lolly doesn't fan the tail but Pickle does. conf665

You know it's just another thing to the list of others that I have been noting down as possible ways to tell the difference.

C.K · **Posted:** Tue Aug 06, 2013 8:59 pm

I don't , I would be trying vent sexing before that but that is a hard skill to learn .
Feather sexing is another reasonable one but is breed specific and you need to do it by day 3 the pullets have two distinct sets of feathers in the wing and the males have one even set, after three days it doesn't work.

DezertCoop · **Joined:** Sat Mar 30, 2013 1:01 pm **Posts:** 11

The 'fanning tail' is a wives tale, vent sexing is a good idea for non autosex chicks

Carol NZ · **Posted:** Thu Aug 08, 2013 7:06 am

Never heard of the fanning tail sounds quite funny :lol:

maybe thats a peacock?

Y.barnesy · **Posted:** Sat Aug 17, 2013 3:52 pm

I have done feather sexing
where the tail featers and feathers meet at the base of the tail and the back.
Gils have a nice rounded ends of their feathers,
Whie the boys( I have read) have pointy ends at the ends of their feathers

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