# Help sexing 5 1/2 week old chicks



## nancydiddle (May 1, 2014)

Hi, 

I'm new to this forum, and a first time hatcher of chicks! I managed to get 7 chicks to 5 1/2 weeks (out of 14!) and now have one of each of the following chucks - White Leghorn, Exchequer leghorn, Freisian bantam, Fosters Legbar, Plymouth Buff Rock and two silver wyandotes. I'm having some difficulty deciding on the sexes of most ... would anyone like to hazard a guess?


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

If I were to take a guess, I'd say the fosters is the only roo pictured. Take that with a grain of salt as the Wyandotte will have a smaller comb even for the males, and it is more so the width that gives them away, which I can't see. The white leghorn also has a larger comb as females than a lot of other single combed breeds, but the comb shape itself seems to be more pullet-like, so I am shooting into the dark for those two.


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

Fiere said:


> If I were to take a guess, I'd say the fosters is the only roo pictured. Take that with a grain of salt as the Wyandotte will have a smaller comb even for the males, and it is more so the width that gives them away, which I can't see. The white leghorn also has a larger comb as females than a lot of other single combed breeds, but the comb shape itself seems to be more pullet-like, so I am shooting into the dark for those two.


i wait till they are 8 weeks old & i don't go by the comb size

i go by the color of their waddles


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

On my crew I've never noticed any colour was safe to go by. I've had hens with small dark wattles and Roos with larger paler ones. So I take my salt grains and examine comb shape and size.

I have one bird now who I was sure was a hen and now I'm looking at it... And I am not so positive. The difference took a week. For the record her wattles are still pale but her comb is very indicative of a roo. Now the known roo in that pile has a big comb and very, very red wattles so there's no mistake there. He's looked like that since week two LOL I wish they were all that easy.


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

it also depends on the breed

i find buff orpingtons to be easy

other breeds not so much


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