Help sexing Barred Plymouth rock chicks (have a guess!)

[connieconnie]

On the 16th evening to 17th morning of April, (approximately 3 days ago) I hatched 4 cute little barred plymouth rock chicks! (YAY!!!)

And being the keen researcher I am, I fell into the rabbit hole of the hundreds of posts and videos on how to identify what sex the chicks are. I still have no idea.

I was hoping there might be someone who knows what sex these chicks are? I'll try to post photos each week of their growth and change (as I've heard it's quite hard to tell early on and more clues will appear with time).

All chicks apart from chick 2 have started growing wing feathers, but I think it's still too early to tell.

CHICK 1 (hatched 14 hours earlier than the others, hatched within an hour after pipping and was super active as soon as hatched, also the biggest chick):

CHICK 2 (hatched 2nd, hatched 6 hours after pipping, and also the smallest, darkest chick):

CHICK 3 (hatched 3rd, 5 hours after chick 2)

CHICK 4 (hatched last, 3 hours after chick 3)

Also I don't know if this is relevant, but I do reside in the UK. I'm not sure if the strain of barred plymouth rock available in the UK is different, as I understand it's an american breed?

Is there anything else I can do to help the identification?

I'm super grateful for any help and advice you can give me!
Many thanks and I hope everyone is surviving through this corona crisis

 

[sloanbychoice]

Pure barred rocks can be sexed by looking overall at the spot on the head (bigger on males), and later on the overall coloring. Males will end up lighter, because they only have one barring gene.

 

[connieconnie]

Pure barred rocks can be sexed by looking overall at the spot on the head (bigger on males), and later on the overall coloring. Males will end up lighter, because they only have one barring gene.

Thank you! I had read a bit about that, but only to get more and more confused
So can you tell from the photos above? As the only one with a small defined dot is CHICK 2, however CHICK 2 also is the only one with more yellow legs?

Have I got 4 boys...?

 

[sloanbychoice]

I’m not sure on those pics, and I’m not good with chicks yet.
I’m only good at reiterating what I’ve read. Lol. I do a LOT of research almost every day.
Some of them that look like they don’t have yellow legs are throwing me off.
But, like you said, you’re in the UK, so I don’t know if there are genetic differences.
Hopefully someone better than me will have some insight.

 

[connieconnie]

I’m not sure on those pics, and I’m not good with chicks yet.
I’m only good at reiterating what I’ve read. Lol. I do a LOT of research almost every day.
Some of them that look like they don’t have yellow legs are throwing me off.
But, like you said, you’re in the UK, so I don’t know if there are genetic differences.
Hopefully someone better than me will have some insight.

Will definitely be interesting to see the mystery unravel as they grow! My family are all laying bets on which ones will be roos or hens
I'm the same with research and reading! (the amount I've read on chick sexing ... ) I'm guessing 1=hen, 2=hen, 3=roo, 4=roo (statistically they most likely, but also they could be all roo's )

I'll take some more photos when they're a week old, see if there is any more clues

 

[cluckadoodledoo13]

Good luck with them!

 

[connieconnie]

So the Barred Plymouth Rock chicks have just turned a week old!
Here are the photos of the chicks today. I would appreciate any guess or opinion on what each chick's sex might be,
HEN OR ROO?!
THANK YOU!

Chick 1 (left) and Chick 3 (right) - feet

Chick 1 (right) and Chick 3 (left) - head spot

Chick 1 - wing feathers

Chick 3 - wing feathers

Chick 2 (left) and chick 4 (right) - feet

Chick 2 (bottom/right) and chick 4 (top/left) - headspot

Chick 2 - wing feathers

Chick 4 - wing feathers

THANK YOU <3
(these chicks are so chill, they all fell asleep in my hand while I took photos We've affectionately nicknamed Chick 1 'Godzilla' as she is almost double the size of chick 3, was born first with huge amounts of energy and is the first to do anything - runs in like a dinosaur But we'll have to change that as it's not the most cute name! Any name suggestions for these chicks?)

A bit on their behaviour:
Chick 1: The first chick to do anything, also the biggest and most curious. Will run over when they see you, will climb in hand if put in brooder. Loves being held and eating anything.
Chick 2: The smallest (half the size of chick 1), not crazy about food (will not go into a frenzy and dive into the group when the others are eating). Sleeps more than the others, and is more shy. Super sweet looking but not the brightest. She/he doesn't like trying new things and would rather just cuddle up to chick 1 (best friends). I do worry about this chick, as she/he hatched from a much smaller egg and just doesn't seem as fit and healthy as the others. Darkest in coloring, but also yellowest legs.
Chick 3: Fit, healthy and is right behind chick 1 in doing anything. Likes being held and will also climb into hand if put into the brooder.
Chick 4: Very similar in look, size and health as chick 3. However not a cuddler, doesn't enjoy being held as much (runs away from the hand). But once in hand will fall asleep just as quick as the others.

 

[NatJ]

Pure barred rocks can be sexed by looking overall at the spot on the head (bigger on males), and later on the overall coloring. Males will end up lighter, because they only have one barring gene.

Um, almost right. Males do end up lighter, but that's because they get TWO barring genes. (Twice as many genes = more white = lighter color.)

Male chickens get a matched pair of sex chromosomes, female chickens get a mis-matched set (backwards of the way people are.)


I am watching this thread with interest, because OP is tracking individual chicks--including order of hatching. Years ago, I hatched sexlink chicks and noticed that most of the females hatched first, then a few of each, then a bunch of males. So I have a theory that females tend to hatch earlier, and I'm interested anytime someone's chicks might support or refute that theory of mine.

 

[connieconnie]

Um, almost right. Males do end up lighter, but that's because they get TWO barring genes. (Twice as many genes = more white = lighter color.)

Male chickens get a matched pair of sex chromosomes, female chickens get a mis-matched set (backwards of the way people are.)


I am watching this thread with interest, because OP is tracking individual chicks--including order of hatching. Years ago, I hatched sexlink chicks and noticed that most of the females hatched first, then a few of each, then a bunch of males. So I have a theory that females tend to hatch earlier, and I'm interested anytime someone's chicks might support or refute that theory of mine.

I'm still confused what sex they are when looking at them, even though I've tried reading about 50 accounts of how to sex barred rocks

One chick (chick2) is definitely darkest, but then also has the yellowest feet and slow to develop feathers.

Wow! That's a really interesting theory! (and secretly hoping you're right, as I've become very attached to chick 1 and 2.) I've just put a new batch of eggs in the incubator (12 buff opingtons, 6 black copper marans and 6 cream legbars) which I'll document in the same way' once they've hatched if that helps? Probably going to be a bit more difficult to track (as I just learned the physical differences of this small 4 chick group to tell them apart), will try to get some identification rings for them.

 

[NatJ]

I'm still confused what sex they are when looking at them, even though I've tried reading about 50 accounts of how to sex barred rocks

I have the same trouble But the darker or lighter is mostly noticeable after the feathers grow in, because the males have either more white bars, or wider white bars. It's handy during that in-between time when it's *almost* possible to tell gender by comb size.