As the chick eats and grows, its lower digestive tract will distend, blocking the rudimentary sex organ from view. For that reason, you need to check before the chick has much opportunity to grow.
Ideally, you should be able to hold the neck of the chick in between your middle and ring fingers while holding the legs of the chick in between your ring finger and pinky. Regardless of how you hold the chick, you must be able to keep it still and secure without applying too much pressure.
Keep things cleaner by evacuating the contents of the chick’s intestines into a disposable container. As you squeeze, a small amount of feces should drop into the waste bin. Ridding the intestines of waste is necessary if you want to get a clear view of the vent.
The “vent” of a chick is the hole through which feces exit. You need to work carefully since applying too much force can damage the chick’s intestines.
You’ll need to fold the bottom half of the vent toward the chick’s abdomen. Hold it in place with a firm yet gentle pinch.
The rudimentary male sex organ, formally called the “male process,” should look like a small, semi-transparent bulb. It is located within the second of three folds inside the vent cavity. Additionally, it should look separate from the surrounding tissue. Female chicks, on the other hand, usually have a mild depression or swelling in the same area. If your eyes are good enough, you might be able to do this using nothing but the naked eye. If you have difficulty seeing the interior vent in detail, though, you might need to use a wearable magnifier while checking. Also note that approximately one out of every five male chicks are not clearly identifiable, usually because the male process of these chicks is more difficult to spot.
Work quickly since holding onto the chick for too long can cause more feces to drop. Since this process can be difficult for novices to perform, you should consider getting professional training before attempting it.
Feather development usually evens out by the tenth day regardless of gender, so beyond that point, you may not notice any difference in wing feather size or color.
The exact placement of your fingers does not matter much, but you need access to at least one wing. You also need to make sure that you have a firm enough grip to prevent the chick from dropping as it moves.
You don’t need to extend the wing to its full length, but you need a complete view of the chick’s pinfeathers.
Feather size is only an accurate determination of sex if the chicks have been bred with this trait in mind. It is not an entirely accurate method, even though it does work with most chicks.
This spot may only be visible within the first few days. After the down is shed, it will disappear. Since the size of the spot varies greatly, it might be difficult to see, leading to some inaccuracy.
Feather coloring is a genetic characteristic passed down through the sex-determining chromosomes of the parent chickens. The mother hen will contribute one sex chromosome to the offspring and the father rooster will contribute the other. With poultry, the sex of the resulting offspring is determined by the mother’s chromosome. Females carry a Z and W chromosome, while males carry two Z chromosomes. As such, if the mother hen contributes a Z chromosome, the chick will end up with two Z chromosomes and will be male. If the mother contributes a W chromosome, the chick will have a Z and W pair, resulting in a female. The feather color, along with the sex, will be determined by the mother hen based on the chromosome she passes down.
As a result, you can only use the sex-linked method of sexing chicks if you know the breeds of both parents, and if those breeds are compatible with the process. The Rhode Island Red parent must always be the father rooster. There are several different breeds the mother hen can be, but in general, they will need to be silver, penciled, or barred breeds.
If the mother is a barred hen of some type, she will produce male chicks that are black or dark brown with a white spot on the head and female chicks with solid black or dark brown down. If the mother is a silver or penciled breed, she will produce male chicks that are either silver, cream, white, or smoky in color. The female chicks will be gold, buff, or red.
You should be able to notice adult traits within three to four weeks. [2] X Research source Since many of the other sexing methods require you to act quickly, this is also a good option if you get the chicks well after the initial sexing window has passed. This is also the easiest way to determine sex for beginners.
Additionally, male chicks tend to develop feathers in patchy clusters, while female chicks develop feathers more evenly. Male chicks also tend to produce more pointed tail feathers. Female chicks, on the other hand, generally have broad, rounded feathers. Most male chicks also develop larger feet and thicker legs than the average female chick has. This trait can be difficult to spot in young chicks but becomes increasingly more obvious as the chicks continue to age.
Male chicks can begin crowing within six weeks, but female chicks will only make soft clucking noises. When startled, male chicks tend to stand their ground and give a sharp warning chirp. Females are more likely to scatter or crouch down. Also remember that only females lay eggs. The timeline for egg laying will vary, but females can begin laying eggs within 16 to 24 weeks.
