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Sexing Chicks

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Chicken star

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Sexing Chicks
« on: July 18, 2012, 12:17 »
I was given some week old chicks a while a go and they're now about 10 weeks old and i'm wondering how i sex them?
I have some light sussex and some Houdans.
I have seen some small bumps on a few of their legs is this spur development?
Has anyone got some good tips about sexing?
Thanks
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kegs

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Re: Sexing Chicks
« Reply #1 on: July 18, 2012, 12:41 »
Post some photos of them and the experts on here may be able to help you.  :)
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Casey76

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Re: Sexing Chicks
« Reply #2 on: July 18, 2012, 13:25 »
Light Sussex are fairly easy to sex as the males develop wattles and combs quite early; and by 10 weeks you should be at almost 95% accuracy.

I don't have any experience with houdans though... sorry.

Photos would be good though :)
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jhub

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Re: Sexing Chicks
« Reply #3 on: July 18, 2012, 13:34 »
Light Sussex are fairly easy to sex as the males develop wattles and combs quite early; and by 10 weeks you should be at almost 95% accuracy.

That's really interesting Casey as I had two LS chicks sexed as females, one of whom developed really pronounced comb and wattles and thick legs. She was also very aggressive and pinned one of my cream legbars on the ground and tried to peck out her eye. The breeder replaced her but it turns out that she is definitely a hen whereas I was convinced by her appearance she was a boy.
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ANHBUC

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Re: Sexing Chicks
« Reply #4 on: July 18, 2012, 19:52 »
My Light Sussex Bantams have all developed comb and wattles quite early but I am 95% sure 2 are girls.  Their tail feathers seem to be different on the males as they have extended feathers which droop.  All of them love fighting and doing the stare off thing but the 2 males are definately challenging for top cock.
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Bagpuss RIP 1992 - June 2012, 1 huge grass carp (RIP "Jaws" July 2001 - December 2011), 4 golden orfe, 1 goldfish and 1 fantail fish (also huge)! plus 4 Italian quail, 1 Japanese quail, 1 Rosetta quail.
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Chicken star

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Re: Sexing Chicks
« Reply #5 on: July 18, 2012, 21:54 »
I'm really unsure as they have all developed wattles and combs but aren't aggressive at all and 1 or 2 have thick legs and what I think is spur development.
Has anyone else seen this, small bumps on their legs which would be were the spurs are?
Has anyone had this and they turn out to be hens?
I don't want to get rid of all the cockerels to find out they're hens. :unsure:
I'll try and get a photo tomorrow but when I went up tonight they were all in the coop.
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Jo57

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Re: Sexing Chicks
« Reply #6 on: July 18, 2012, 22:36 »
My Light Sussex bantam is 11 weeks, tiny comb and no wattles. I am presuming Georgie and not George at this point but still keeping an open mind. The 7 week old sabelpoots are different altogether. I have 4, two have small orangey combs, one has a bigger red comb and the other an even bigger red comb and wattles! I'm just going to wait and see what happens. The run politics are intriguing! especially with the two adult silkie cross 'mums' in the mix!
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Casey76

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Re: Sexing Chicks
« Reply #7 on: July 18, 2012, 23:57 »
Spur buds are not an indication of sex, both hens and cocks can develop them :)
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Sassy

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Re: Sexing Chicks
« Reply #8 on: July 19, 2012, 08:09 »
Light sussex can be very difficult and it is often the case that you only know for sure once they start to crow! :ohmy: :ohmy: :ohmy:
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Chicken star

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Re: Sexing Chicks
« Reply #9 on: July 22, 2012, 22:11 »
Quote from: Casey76 on July 18, 2012, 23:57
Spur buds are not an indication of sex, both hens and cocks can develop them :)

This has made me quite happy i thought i had a brood of all cockerels and looking at my hybrid hens more carefully they seem to have buds as well! Yay  :D
Quote from: Sassy on July 19, 2012, 08:09
Light sussex can be very difficult and it is often the case that you only know for sure once they start to crow! :ohmy: :ohmy: :ohmy:
Someone else has told me this! I hope not, :unsure: I would love to be able to find them new homes if they're cockerels.


I'm struggling to upload photos! Everytime i try it just says error. Any ideas??
Oh and today i introduced my brood of chicks to my hybrid and silkie hens, they just ran around for a while and then settled in perfect and I went down at half 8 expecting them all to be outside and they were all snuggled in asleep! :D
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marygall

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Re: Sexing Chicks
« Reply #10 on: July 23, 2012, 08:29 »
Good luck with finding them new homes - I've had four cockerels for a year and am now having to look at the prospect of despatching them - they've taken to crowing outside the bedroom window and my husband is not a chicken lover...
This is the worst part about growing your own - what to do with the boys.
Fingers crossed that yours are girls.
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mattwragg94

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Re: Sexing Chicks
« Reply #11 on: July 23, 2012, 09:47 »
Quote from: Chicken star on July 22, 2012, 22:11

I'm struggling to upload photos! Everytime i try it just says error. Any ideas??

it more than likely due to your image file being too large, you will need to reduce the size of you image in order for it to upload it (i think you are only able to upload a pic of upto 198kb on this site!)
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Blodwin

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Re: Sexing Chicks
« Reply #12 on: July 24, 2012, 08:08 »
I was in a similar position to you, I bought 8, 1 week old chicks, they are now 18 weeks and some have just started laying. However I did end up with 3 cockerels but it too quite a while to confirm they were actually cockerels and not hens, it was the crowing that finally confirmed it.  I managed to rehome them all (the last one went yesterday) to a farmer who's nephew kept chickens and sold eggs and he wanted to increase his flock. I was however prepared to dispatch them though if I had needed to.  Good luck rehoming them.
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