[RICH_Chicken]

Hello all,

I just wanted to know, is it possible to sex young chicks? How to tell! And what age you can tell, as I'm wanting the hens not the cockerels!

Thanks

[Sassy]

Sexing chicks is very specialised and should not be attempted by untrained persons. It depends on the breed as to how old a hen is before you can tell, one of the worst for this being Light Sussex. However, with the right crosses you can get autsexing chicks where you can tell from their markings. Google this or members who know more about it can advise.

[Silkychicks]

The three chicks I bought were sexed on their first day by/through? their vent by a lady who has this as a speciality.

The breeder said it was a short uncomfortable moment for the chick but since silkies are so hard to sex they chose this way.
It took me a few nights considering wether to support this/go along with this by buying her chicks.
Quite some emails went up and down and she reassured me that it was merely discomfort.

Now I have three of my own beside the 3 I bought and the difference is amazing: the bought ones are easely distressed,  can really panic when I put my hand in their coop and allthough I give them a lot of attention, a daily treat on the table, I carefully stroke them while they eat so they realise I will not hurt them... It doesn't really improve. they are happy and healthy, but 2 of them do not want to be touched. (They came to live with me when they were 3 days old)

There is an obvious difference in caracter but still I can't stop wondering wether the sexing did damage their trust.

Maybe a subject to explore further before deciding which way to sex your chicks.

[tosca100]

Our shumens are relatively easy to sex if you have a group of them as they have large combs as adults so you can make a good guess when they hatch.

 But we also had one last year who didn't show himself as male until he was eight months old and started crowing, the other boys were mini cockerels at six weeks. He got a good home with four young girls and has blossomed into a fine bird. We called him Heshe, but changed it to Hershey when we knew, the new owner kept the name.

If you really can't have a boy you are better buying older birds unless you are prepared for the concequenses.

[grinling]

you could get auto sexing breed, quite a few out there. what would you do with the cockerel chicks? I was able to house my 4 cream legbar cockerel chicks.

[Silkychicks]

... sorry to sound silly but what means 'auto sexing breed'? 

[grinling]

the chicks hatch look different from male to female. for cream legbar the girls have a stripe down the head whilst the boys have a spot.
this helps eliminate feeding a cockerel you do not want or cannot give away or have to cull when it starts to crow.  the chick should still be culled humanely.