Male or female

greenaus · **Posted:** Sun Feb 17, 2008 9:34 pm

Update: Of the seven chickens I got at the end of January, each of the cockerels has been taken back and swapped for pullets.

G'day,

I have a buff sussex about 8 weeks old. It does appear a bit bigger than the other chickens (light sussex, RIR, Australorps) of similar age. I showed photos of the whole lot together on another forum and some people had expressed the possibility that she may be a he.

That would be disappointing because I made it clear I wanted good layers. Roosters don't usually lay eggs.

Below are a couple of clearer photos I took this afternoon.

After I took the photos, I took it down and put it in with Rex the Rooster (RIR X) and Brownie (RIR X) and the four bantams.

Only Rex, Brownie and a bantam were wandering around the pen and the two hens pecked at the buff sussex chicken pretty much right away and I told them to stop. Brownie ran at it a couple more times in the next few minutes, but didn't peck again. However, I was outside the pen telling her not to hurt it.

Rex made a few gutteral growl sounds that he's been making all the time anyway, but didn't show any signs of attacking the chicken (while I was watching).

I took it back out after five minutes as one of the original pecks had drawn blood near its ear. It's back with the others. Test over.

So...
If only the hens pecked at it
1. Is it therefore a female?
2. Rex is a wimp?
3. It could be either sex; hens will peck at any new comer?

Thanks for your help.

bunyanuternie · **Joined:** Wed Jul 11, 2007 10:31 pm **Posts:** 2903

He looks very male to me geenaus , but give Him a bit longer , you never know he might prove us all wrong.

Muscovy J · **Posted:** Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:05 pm

im no expert but could be a boy

Deans' Poultry · **Posted:** Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:09 pm

My money is on cockeral too

JRA · **Posted:** Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:10 pm

Yep a boy, and im pretty sure.

Kylie · **Posted:** Mon Feb 18, 2008 10:29 am

Hi Charles

I'm learning how to tell gender so i'll have a stab at ckl as my light sussex pullet is about 18 weeks old now (is that right Darren?)and she has hardy any comb, have added the link to her pic so you can have a look.

http://www.paforumphotogallery.com/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=10055&pos=10

Deans' Poultry · **Posted:** Mon Feb 18, 2008 10:50 am

Yer Kylie they'd have to be around 18 weeks :-D

How current is that pic?

greenaus · **Posted:** Mon Feb 18, 2008 10:57 am

Kylie's pic was added on 28 January.

My 8 week old light sussex is looking more and more like that each day now that it's feathers are growing.

However...mine -- at eight weeks -- has a more visible comb than Kylie's light sussex, so it might be a boy, too!

pjh · **Posted:** Mon Feb 18, 2008 12:27 pm

greenaus wrote:

So...
If only the hens pecked at it
1. Is it therefore a female?
2. Rex is a wimp?
3. It could be either sex; hens will peck at any new comer?

Thanks for your help.

the answer is 3----hens will peck at any new comer so it is no indication of sex-------by the size of the comb and wattles at this age,am guessing boy and having seen the photo of it with your other breeds the same age, very little doubt-----chickens are hard to sex and it is not uncommon to get a sexed chick that is gender confused :shock:

cheers,p

Deans' Poultry · **Posted:** Mon Feb 18, 2008 1:32 pm

greenaus wrote:

Kylie's pic was added on 28 January.

My 8 week old light sussex is looking more and more like that each day now that it's feathers are growing.

However...mine -- at eight weeks -- has a more visible comb than Kylie's light sussex, so it might be a boy, too!

Thanks greenaus, i guess i would have known that had i looked at the date :oops:

Thank goodness for that! I was thinking her brothers and sisters look a fair bit bigger than her :lol:

Maybe pop a pic in of your light sussex pullet/cockeral greenaus?

Darren :-D

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