# Rooster vs Hen



## StoneHavenS (Feb 9, 2013)

Hi!

When are you able to distinguish the roosters from the hens in straight run chicks? What is the first indication? Several of my Black Australorps are straight run and I think that I am starting to be able to tell a difference in the combs.

Blessings,
Misty


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## Bret (Oct 3, 2003)

The roosters may soon outpace the hens in body size. I don't know about the combs. You will have fun when the roosters start to find their voices. They sound very funny.


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## AAcre (Mar 2, 2013)

Haha! My rooster is nearing one year old, and his voice STILL sounds funny! You can sex most breeds of chickens at about 3 months by looking at their tail feathers. Roosters have long, pointy feathers while hens have shorter round feathers. I also check for the Rooster's spurs on their legs. Most hens do not have spurs (located on the low back part of their legs). Here is a good picture of what a spur looks like (I got it from Google). 








Juveniles' spurs start out as a little bump, but they grow as the rooster grows. Obviously, pointer A is the rooster's leg, and pointer B is the spur. Hope this helps a bit. I found this helpful to make sure!


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## unregistered168043 (Sep 9, 2011)

Not in week old chicks. Takes a couple months to see the difference for me.


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## Bob Huntress (Dec 17, 2012)

It has to be doable as hatcheries can send pullets with a high degree of accuracy when the chicks are day old.


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## farmerstac (Mar 16, 2005)

The hatcheries vent sex which is doable but it takes a lot of practice and good eyes.


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

once they have their first chick feathers pretty well all grown in after a few weeks they will start to grow a new round of feathers that stays hidden as pin feathers under their original chick feathers, if you pick each bird up and look UNDER the chick feathers on their back between their wings and above the tail young roosters will have a nice bed of pin feathers that are pointed and shiny, and hens wont have as clearly defined section of pin feathers but the pin feathers they do have will be rounded and plain looking, 

sometimes Comb growth can help determin gender in SOME cases when combined with other factors, but comb growth by its self is NOT a good indicator with out back up.


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## aart (Oct 20, 2012)

KSALguy said:


> once they have their first chick feathers pretty well all grown in after a few weeks they will start to grow a new round of feathers that stays hidden as pin feathers under their original chick feathers, if you pick each bird up and look UNDER the chick feathers on _*their back between their wings and above the tail *_young roosters will have a nice bed of pin feathers that are pointed and shiny, and hens wont have as clearly defined section of pin feathers but the pin feathers they do have will be rounded and plain looking,
> 
> sometimes Comb growth can help determin gender in SOME cases when combined with other factors, but comb growth by its self is NOT a good indicator with out back up.


Are these the saddle and hackle feathers? They are pointed on roosters and rounded on hens?


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## StoneHavenS (Feb 9, 2013)

Thanks, everyone! All roosters, and any rowdy hens, at our house get to take a trip to freezer camp.


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

yes saddle feathers, on the back of the bird where you would put a saddle if you were going to ride a chicken, pointed and depending on what breed or color pattern often a differint color on roosters, and rounded and normal looking on a hen,


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## wberry85 (Feb 28, 2013)

I can usually tell by more developed wattles or turquoise feathers on their tail (or longer tail feathers). Not very scientific but the older they get the easier it is to tell.


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