Male or Female

[MRBIG]

Can some one please help me as i am new at this.
How can you tell at a young age (4months) if you have male or females chickens.
Is there an easy way of doing this thanks

 

[tennessee_chicken_lover]

I Think that males Would have Longer Tail Feathers and Bigger Combs and Wattles But i'm new here 2. What Breed Are They. Everyone here is so nice and friendly they are very helpful Goodluck---------Dustin

 

[Picco]

If you have pictures I could help. At this age the roosters hould have bigger combs and wattles than the hens (this is the easiest way to tell). They should start crowing soon and at this age the roosters will start to act like roosters (sparing, strutting...). There is one test that is not 100% accurate but it does work to a degree...

Watch your chicks closely for a little while until they are used to your presence and more or less ignore you. While they are relaxed throw a dish towel or something of the sort over their heads. Your chicks will instinctively think it is a threat of some sort (as if it were a hawk) and will act accordingly. Hens typically will squat down or run out of the way while roosters will stand their ground, head high and ready for action.

I know it may sound rediculous but it might help

 

[silkiechicken]

At four months, it should be pretty easy, unless they are silkies, to tell who is a male. They will have pointed hackle feathers (if not hen feathered like seabrights), sickle feathers, be larger than others of their breed, have larger combs, be more up front with you, and will begin to crow. Like Picco's dish cloth method, you can put your hand on the backs of the chicken and shake a bit while pushing down, females will squat and spread their wings a bit while roosters will just be unhappy. Pictures will help for sure. Maybe you are lucky and have all girls!

 

[MRBIG]

:/Thanks everyone for your help if i knew how to put pictures up i would !! But i shall give your suggestions a go.
The breed of bird is Black Orpington.

 

[hinkjc]

At that age, the males comb is double the size of the female. It should also be much redder. Orpingtons are usually easy to tell by the comb.

Jody

 

[speckledhen]

Wow, you really should know by four months if you have a rooster with an Orpington. I have several chicks, blue, black, splash and they told on themselves before they were six weeks old. My Blue Orp cockerels especially have very red faces, combs and wattles.

 

[Servant]

anytime you have a question on the sex of a chicken just hold a needle on thread over it. If it goes in a circle its a female and if it goes back and forth it's a male. Hard to believer but it works!

 

[cookinmom]

Isn't that the same thing ladies do to see what kind of baby (what gender I mean, duh!) they're having?

 

[Servant]

yes it is but it really works trying on you chickens you will see it