Is there a way to tell the difference between rooster and hen when they are chicks?

Answer 1

Generally by 5 weeks you will really notice slight differences in comb size, length of the legs, size of the feet and presence of saddle feathers.

Day one if you are VERY EXPERIENCED. Most hatcheries have people on staff (usually Japanese based on the need for sexing in a country with limited space) that sex day old chicks. They squeeze the chick to release fecal material then flip it over, open the vent and look for a small lump to determine male or female.

Answer 2

Sexing chicks is quite a difficult job to do well.

Vent sexing or identifying the sex of a day old chick by looking at its sexual organs is done by very few, very well trained people. It takes a long time to learn how to identify the more than 15 different shapes of the cloaca. Chicks are often damaged or killed by squeezing them too hard when done by a novice handler.

Feather sexing is based on feather characteristics that differ between male and female chicks.The feather appearances are determined by specially selected genetic traits (sex-link) that must be present in the chick strain. Most breeds of chickens do not have these feather sexing characteristics and the feathering of both sexes appear identical.

The easiest method of sexing chickens by the novice small flock owner is to care for the birds until they begin showing the natural secondary characteristics of their gender. In males, the combs and wattles will become larger than those on females and the head will become more angular and masculine looking. The female will remain smaller than the male and is more refined or feminine looking.

Answer 3

A little more difficult when the silky has no visible comb. The best way is to watch behavior. The male will be more gregarious and go on alert when startled rather than crouch or shy away like the hens. They will step up to danger as is their instinct. If your birds are "free range" toss a rag into the group, the cockerels will be the first to investigate the "UFO" and might well be vocal about it. As they get older they will develop spurs like all males of the species. They will also display mating behavior and "dance" for the hens.

Answer 4

I'm almost positive there are different colourings on the inside (or was it outside) of a chick's wings, brown for female.

Hmm, if it were only that easy...See the link on how to sex chicks. Chicks that are bred to be able to be sexed by feathers are shown in the Discovery link. Those chicks that are not bred to be sexed by the feathers have to be 'vent sexed'. See that link, too.This quote comes from that link.

Vent sexing is based on the fact that the hatchling cockerel has a rudimentary sex organ called the "male process" . . . a very small, glossy, transparent bulb that protrudes from amid the second of three cloacal folds inside the cavity. The structure is independent of the surrounding tissues and pokes out almost as far as the vent opening when the border is pushed down far enough for examination. If you're not farsighted, you can see the process with the naked eye.

Answer 5

One way to distinguish between a rooster and a hen when they are chicks is by looking at their feather growth. Male chicks often have faster and more pronounced feather growth than female chicks. Additionally, some breeds may show subtle differences in markings or behavioral traits that can indicate their sex.

Answer 6

It is very hard. You have to wait until they either crow or lay eggs.