Barred Rock chicks- cockerel or pullets

[Stacinfl]

Hi hi. (Loooooong time lurker, like a decade) finally leaped into chicken keeping.

These guys are probably a day shy of being a week old. I’ve been reading and watching examples of Barred rock ladies and gents. But I still can’t crack the “head spot, wing, leg” code on my own. I think Ive got four pullets and 4 cockerels. My guesses is a,b,c,d are pullets, the other cockerels. Or do I have it backwards. They are from straight run from TS

 

[Stacinfl]

OH goodness, i see it posted some photos multiple times‍

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

Please wait until they are six weeks old, then post some pics of their combs. Thanks!

 

[Stacinfl]

Please wait until they are six weeks old, then post some pics of their combs. Thanks!

ah i was worried I waited to long- I spent so long trying to figure it out on my own. I'll come back to update and get thoughts in 5 weeks. Oh the waiting!

 

[Alaskan]

ah i was worried I waited to long- I spent so long trying to figure it out on my own. I'll come back to update and get thoughts in 5 weeks. Oh the waiting!

nope... with Barred Rocks and Dominiques now is the normal time to be able to sex them.

However, some lines of each breed can be easier to sex than others.

With your chicks... those head spots just aren't as clear as I would like... to help with confident sexing. (your photos were great ... it is just the chicks)

chick C, even though the feathers coming in are pretty dark... that frost on the shoulders screams boy to me.

I agree that E and F look male. Especially E. E is a clear male.

Rest female.

Look at them again in 2 weeks... and see, but those are my guesses.

If you are going to breed these... keep a record of who becomes male and female... and next hatch your guesses as to sex at 2 weeks or even at hatch, should be close to 100%.

Locally hatched pullets always sell well.

 

[dunnmom]

Yep. Probably going to have to wait and see. Feather sexing is best done within the first couple of days. Once their barring patterns come in, though, you should really be able to tell. I do agree about the frosted shoulders usually being male, though.

 

[Alaskan]

Yep. Probably going to have to wait and see. Feather sexing is best done within the first couple of days. Once their barring patterns come in, though, you should really be able to tell. I do agree about the frosted shoulders usually being male, though.

feather sexing is an entirely different method of sexing, and done at hatch or close to hatch.

(or maybe we are confusing terms here?)

But the cuckoo pattern expresses differently on males verses females since all females have 2 copies of the gene, and males one.

As a result, they should be able to be sexed at hatch by the head spot (in some lines easily so, in others not as easily), and they should definitely be sexable when the feathers start to come in.

Boys are lighter... females darker.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Pullets feathers grow faster than cockerels if that helps.

 

[Stacinfl]

thanks everybody for chiming in!

 

[christwodog]

I've always heard females are darker in color, with yellow legs and males are lighter in color with darker pigmented legs. I've only had female barred rock chicks and I can say they all had yellow legs, with no dark pigmentation. Don't know how accurate it is, FWIW.