sexing these week old chicks

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Help! My chicks are a week old, and a few started feathering out ahead of the others. Could it be that some that were shipped were older than others? I have one Araucauna and "she" seems ahead of the others in size and feathers. One of my Giants is also developing tail feathers and others have a soft round rump. Is there a foolproof way to know? Has anyone else had some develop faster with hens being the hens they were supposed to be in the end?? I will be so disappointed if there are roosters, since I have only 7! In shipping, there were 2 Faverolles that appeared smaller than the others shipped, we thought maybe these were day olds,and the rest were week olds... the faverolles arrived weak and died. Thanks everyone!

-- Michele Rae Padgett (michelesmelodyfarm@Yahoo.com), March 20, 2001

Answers

Michele:

Go to the Poultry (General) category in the Older Messages section. Then search (Control and F key) on sex to find the thread on how to sex chicks. Several methods were suggested there.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), March 20, 2001.


Hi Michele, I just bought 32 chicks the past few weeks from the local feed store and I gave up on trying to sex them. I went thru the archives and read everything I could find on sexing chicks. There was a post that said you could hold the chick by the neck and let it hang....males would keep fighting and females would fight and then hang limp. That sounded the most promising, but I had no luck. All the chicks I tried that on fought and kicked like crazy. I was affraid someone was going to see me and think I was some kind of wacko!......Looking at the vent is another way. I'm sure if you looked at it enough you could tell a difference. I got 8 varieties this time. I have a incubator, so was hoping for some roosters. I have 2 Araucaunas that are 8 days old and they are much smaller than the rest, so I wonder what you have. I also have 2 baby ducks and 2 turkies. I think the feed store messed up on the ducks as they are only 2 weeks old and are getting huge. They are suppose to be Indian runners but they are looking more like geese to me. I'll have to post a pic and maybe someone with runners could confirm what I have. If you figure out a sure fire way let me know. Good luck with the new ones.

-- Kent in WA (kent@premier1.net), March 20, 2001.

I have sex lots of chickens, here is how you do it. Holding the bird in your right hand, gently pull out a wing, you will see two rows of canes, They look like tiny tubes from which feathers are beginning to emerge. If the feathers in the front row closest to the birds body are shorter than those in the back row, its a pullet.or girl If the rows are the same height or the front row is taller, its a cockerel or boy.Lots of luck, Irene

-- Irene orsborn (tkorsborn@cs.com), March 20, 2001.

The best way to sex bought chicks is to buy them that way from the professionals. Week-old chicks will not travel well without water, etc. Dya-olds vary greatly in size depending on breed. If you read the books on sexing they help, but they recommend you separate dozens (even 100's) of birds by sex and then kill (!) them and check for ovaries, etc. to see if you got it right. If you ordered or bought straight run chicks, odds are there are slightly over 50% male. That's been my experience anyhow. If you really want female, buy them that way, even if it means buying adults.

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), March 20, 2001.

Irene, I have chicks that range from 8 days old to 3 weeks and none of the ones I looked at are the way you described. Does that only apply to day old chicks? All my chicks have wing feathers already. Thanks for the help.

-- Kent in WA (kent@premier1.net), March 21, 2001.


Yes this was for one or two day chicks,you can realy get your pick at the feed store with method, all pullets for the price of mixed. I was raised on large chicken farm, now the only way you tell is just by there size and sometimes there feet are larger.Irene

-- Irene Orsborn (tkorsborn@cs.com), March 21, 2001.

Faverolles are a small breed and the chicks are real small and very delicate comapared to araucauna and giants.If they were shipped together , just the stress of being with the giants could have killed them.When I order the smaller more delicate breeds of chicks I wait until the weather is warmer.I find more survive this way.Also I try to order enough of the small breeds so they won't get shipped mixed with the bigger heavy breeds.If Faverolles are to be mixed it should be with other small types or bantams.The hatcheries should know better then to ship heavy breeds and lights together.And your chicks were probably the same age ,the heavy breeds may look older.

-- Steve (a12goat@cs.com), March 22, 2001.

Thank you everyone, I will now try the feather rows idea,,, I hope none of these are roosters. My Faverolles are coming next week with a batch of banties to the local feedstore. Hope theyll do better.

-- Michele Rae Padgett (michelesmelodyfarm@Yahoo.com), March 23, 2001.

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