[chech221]

hi all now ive got 9 chics jst over a week old all are doing fine feathers growing on the wings,can anyone tell me how to verify which is male and female? any info would be gratefull thanks in advance.

[joyfull]

What breed are they, some breeds you can tell from birth others you just have to wait which is what I'm having to do with my 6.

[Casey76]

The easiest way to sex chooks is to wait and watch for any male characteristics!

Generally males are slower to feather out than females.  Depending on breed they will develop their comb and wattles before the females.

I was 95% sure which of my chicks were boys at 4 weeks.

[chech221]

the breed is marran but thing is 7 are white and 2 are black very puzzled to y they are different colors i had a whitestar cockerel january but had to cull him for attacking all the time 2 weeks after i got a marran cockerel who still runs with my hens.

[joyfull]

Are they cuckoo maran? I think you can tell with them on the feathers - mainly black  or mainly white.

[chech221]

this is the father of these chics,

[joyfull]

are you sure? 

[chech221]

positive

[chech221]

ive had that cockerel in the picture since the end of january.

[joyfull]

Male cuckoo maran chicks are supposed to be darker than the females. but none of the pictures I have seen show maran chicks the colours of your lighter ones. I've got some copper blue marans hatching and they look like your two darker ones.

[chech221]

im thinking that the 7 white chics could be whitestars and the 2 black ones are marran but how can it be possible ?

[joyfull]

don't know but I agree with you!!! Cute little critters though 

[chech221]

hopefully they mostly hens as i dont want cockerals,1 is enough yeah they sure are cute and very chirpy got 2 in the house at moment under heat lamp as these 2 were born a day after the others driving me nuts now after the first week 2 weeks and hopefully be fully fethered to be moved onto my allotment

[SMD66]

 I saw this on a tv prog showing the life of a battery hen from incubator to cage.  The way the new hatched chicks are sexed is by looking at the feathers on the edge of the wings.  If all the same length then male, if 1 long, 1 short etc then female.

[chickenlady]

I saw this on a tv prog showing the life of a battery hen from incubator to cage.  The way the new hatched chicks are sexed is by looking at the feathers on the edge of the wings.  If all the same length then male, if 1 long, 1 short etc then female.

Im afraid that only works with certain commercial hybrids they are bred so they can tell at hatch by the wing feathers, others are sexed by colour! purebreeds vary in how you can tell, I would agree thought that with the heavier breeds, the hens tend to feather up quicker whilst the boys are more patchy! I have 4 2 week old welsummers which in some strains you can sex by the eye/head markings but looking at the combs i have 3 girls and 1 definate boy! pekins apparently you can tell by 2-3 weeks as well as faverolles (thankyou Foxy). wyandottes and orpingtons taking the longest! I will have to wait till my dottie banties are about 8 wks before i will be able to tell and who knows about my 3 buff orpingtons?