How do you determine the sex of a day old chick?

Answer 1

Sexing chicks is a difficult job to do well.

Vent sexing or identifying the sex of a day old chick by looking at its sexual organs is done by very well trained people. It takes a long time to learn how to identify the more than 15 different shapes of the cloaca. Chicks are often damaged or killed by squeezing them too hard when done by a novice handler. Feather sexing is based on feather characteristics that differ between male and female chicks.The feather appearances are determined by specially selected genetic traits called sex-link that must be present in the chick strain. Most breeds of chickens do not have these feather sexing characteristics and the feathering of both sexes appear identical. Day old chicks sold at Hatcheries are sometimes offered with this genetic trait. The easiest method of sexing chickens by the novice small flock owner is to care for the birds until they begin showing the natural secondary characteristics of their gender. In males, the combs and wattles will become larger than those on females and the head will become more angular and masculine looking. The female will remain smaller than the male and is more refined or feminine looking. At about two months old and if the chickens are free range, tossing something over their heads will produce a noticeable reaction that will help. The hens will put their heads down and remain still, the roosters among the flock will look up and run around looking for the perceived danger.