Poultry farming is one of the most popular and profitable types of agriculture. When breeding new offspring or when buying chicks for further breeding, the issue of determining sex becomes especially important. To understand what sex chick, will help effective scientific and folk methods.
How to determine the sex of the chicken
It is quite difficult to determine the sex of a day-old chicken, because its main distinguishing characteristics are in the formative stage. However, a visual inspection of the wings and legs will help to do this.
By wings
The method for determining the sex of a chicken according to the shape of its wings is the most common and easy, so it is often used on large farms and in private households. By nature, chickens start to fledge a little earlier than cockerels.
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The last wingspan is wider, and the wings themselves - larger. If you gently take the chicken, straighten the wings and see, you can see a number of fly feathers. In the event that thick, long, identical-sized feathers stand out - there is a rooster in front of you, but if the feathers are sparse, of different lengths and short - this is chicken. 
The length of the feather indicates further development: the short ones allow the hen to lean on quickly, the long ones form a wide, noble cockerel stroke.
We advise you to read about how to properly feed chickens in the first days of life, as well as how to treat and prevent chickens' diseases.
This method makes it possible to determine the sex of an individual by 65-80%. However, the percentage of errors also exists; it is precisely because of this that experts recommend using other alternative methods.
Did you know? There is a rather original folk method of determining sex - to look for who first gets out of the egg. Usually the chicks first hatch, a little later - the males.
Video: how to determine the sex of a chicken
By the feet
To find out the sex of the chick on the paws, you should pay attention to such aspects:
- color: light shade of the paws is characteristic for the female, darker - masculine;
- size: neat, small legs indicate that they belong to a female, long, leathery paws are a sign of a man.
Typically, this method is used to determine the sex in chickens of broiler breeds.
It will be helpful for you to read about how to treat diarrhea in chickens.
By reflex reactions
It is proved that chickens and cockerels have different reflex reactions to all sorts of stressful situations. You can determine the floor of a chicken, if you gently take it by the paws and turn it headfirst. 
The males in most cases pull out the head and hang loosely, the hens, on the contrary, are grouped and the head is pressed against the calf. Reflex reactions in chickens are manifested not only in the upright position of the legs, but also in the back position.
Important! With this method it is very important not to damage weak, tender chicks.
The chick is placed on the palm of the back so that it is horizontal. If it starts to cluster to the center and the head is pulled to the tummy, then this is a girl, if such a reaction does not follow - then the boy.
Learn more about why broiler chickens die, how to treat noncommunicable diseases in broiler chickens, and what to do if broilers sneeze and wheeze.
This method allows you to determine the floor with an accuracy of 65%. Of course, these figures are low, but paired with other methods will help to cope with the task without harming the birds. 
By egg
According to experienced poultry farmers, it is possible to determine the sex of a bird before hatching, simply by looking at the shape of the egg.
To do this:
- take the egg in your hand and place it in your palm with a sharp end up;
- the other hand must be held on the surface of the sharp end. If a knob is felt and a ring is observed, then a rooster will be born, if the surface is absolutely smooth - hens.
Check out the rules for chickens with an incubator, and learn how to lay eggs in an incubator, how to wash eggs before incubation.
As a rule, chickens hatch from oval eggs, eggs with males have an oval shape with a pointed one end.
Video: chicken sex determination by egg
Gender Detection in Adolescent Chicks
To determine the sex of a bird, starting from three weeks of age, it becomes easier as characteristic external signs begin to show.
3-4 weeks of life
Starting from the third week of life, chickens actively fledge, while boys have a light edge, but are rapidly gaining weight. Changing the behavior of birds. Males become more cocky, nimble, often fighting with their "brothers", take away food.
Summing up, you can identify several of the most important changes in the period of 3-4 weeks:
- active plumage in chickens and its absence in roosters;
- weight gain in males;
- manifestation of a brisk, cocky character in males.
6-10 weeks of life
In 2 months you can recognize a male by the following features:
- he has a scallop;
- beard reddens;
- the face begins to acquire a rounded shape;
- the limbs are lengthened, spurs are formed on them;
- long braids are formed on the tail.
Important! In the period of 6-10 weeks of life, the hens also appear yellowish combs, however, even an inexperienced poultry farmer can unmistakably distinguish them from the cocks.
At the age of two months, a very simple reflex method based on the fear of birds will help to find out the floor of the chicken. It is necessary to frighten the young and look at their reaction: the chickens begin to group and gather into small groups, the males begin to run up and then become defensive - stretch their heads and protrude their proud “male breasts”.
Video: chick sex determination by voice The easiest way to know the sex of a bird in three months of age. Males are distinguished by a larger physique, the presence of bright red scallops, large long legs with well-defined spurs.
Did you know? According to statistics, almost 80-90% of the birds hatched are cockerels. Naturally, such indicators do not suit many farmers, which is why the sex of the future individual is determined even in the egg.
Chickens have a neater body, small, pale-colored scallop, short legs. Even poultry farmers with years of experience know that 100% of the chick is not able to determine the sex of any of the methods.
Therefore, it is recommended to use several methods that will help reinforce the results of previous tests and almost accurately determine the sex of birds.
