Wife needs to stop sending me to town

CrealCritter

Sustainability Master
Joined
Jul 16, 2017
Messages
11,214
Reaction score
22,030
Points
387
Location
Zone 6B or 7 can't decide
IMG_20210308_151949467.jpg


She asked me: "What kind of chickens are those?" I said: these chickens? They are the best kind, 50 cent chickens, that lay eggs. I did flip them over on their back in the palm of my had and all these pulled both feet up tight, so they are all hens. There were a lot of roos in those two tubs.
IMG_20210308_170606894.jpg
 
Last edited:

Lazy Gardener

Super Self-Sufficient
Joined
May 14, 2017
Messages
4,626
Reaction score
5,884
Points
292
Location
Central Maine, Zone 4B
50 cent chicks that look to be a couple weeks old are the best kind. They've eaten well on the dime of the feed store for those 2 - 3 weeks, AND, they've had free heat from the feed store for those 2 - 3 weeks also. 2 - 3 weeks closer to being off heat, 2 - 3 weeks closer to those first eggs. They'll not even have chicks here in Maine until mid April.
 

CrealCritter

Sustainability Master
Joined
Jul 16, 2017
Messages
11,214
Reaction score
22,030
Points
387
Location
Zone 6B or 7 can't decide
---> My <--- method for sexing young chicks. I've tried this method many times and it proves around 95% correct. I've even marked the chicks legs from previous hatches, just so I could keep track.

If you take a young chicken chick in your hand, flip it on its back and wait a couple of seconds, for it to settle down. If the chick pulls both of it's feet up tight, it's a hen. If it extends even one leg, it's a roo. Although most roos extend both legs out straight.

This chick is a hen, notice it's feet are pulled up tight to its adomen. I must have fished out 50 chicks from those tubs, looking for hens.
IMG_20210310_110210703_PORTRAIT.jpg


Turkey chicks are the exact opposite. Hens extend their legs and roos pull their legs up tight.

Please note... I have no formal chicken/turkey education. This is just my trial and error experiences, talking. I'm sure there are other ways to sex fowls, but this method seems to work well for me, it's pretty accurate.
 
Last edited:
Top