HOW TO DETERMINE GENDER ON YOUR CHICKS

It’s that time of year when every second post on every chicken group is asking people to sex their young birds. Here are some tips on how to figure it out for yourself.

1.) Colour. In many breeds, other than solid colours (buff, white, black etc.), the cockerels are more colourful than the pullets when they begin to feather in.

2.) Pullets may feather in faster than cockerels.

3.) Leg size. Cockerels will have thicker legs.

4.) Comb colour. If your chick’s comb is turning reddish by 8 weeks old, it is probably a cockerel.

5.) Comb size. If you have purebred chickens, the ones with larger combs are probably cockerels.

6.) Size. Cockerels are usually bigger.

7.) Stance. Cockerels will probably stand up taller, where pullets will stand with their bodies held more horizontally.

8.) Wattles. Cockerels will probably have bigger wattles.

9.) Neck and saddle feathers. On cockerels, neck and saddle feathers will be pointy-ended. Pullets will have round-ended feathers.

10.) Pattern. On Partridge/Pencilled and Laced patterned breeds, all chicks will first grow some barred feathers, and then molt to their adult feathers. Pullets will get their pencilled or laced patterned feathers, cockerels will grow solid-coloured feathers. Cockerels will generally have uglier barring and more solid chest feathers during the barred feather stage, but that depends on the quality of the pattern so may not be a reliable indicator.