Determining whether a chicken is a hen or a rooster can be tricky, especially when they are young chicks. However with careful observation and knowing what to look for you can identify their gender. Here are some tips for telling roosters apart from hens
Look at the Comb and Wattles
The comb and wattles are red fleshy growths on top of a chicken’s head. Roosters tend to develop larger, brighter red combs and wattles at an earlier age, usually around 6-8 weeks old. Hens generally don’t develop these features until closer to the age they start laying eggs, around 16-20 weeks old.
Check the Hackle and Saddle Feathers
Roosters have longer, pointed hackle feathers on the neck and long saddle feathers near the base of the tail. Hens have shorter, rounded hackle feathers and lack long saddle feathers. Differences become noticeable around 2-3 months old.
Observe Leg Size and Spurs
Roosters often have thicker legs and develop spurs earlier than hens. Spurs are the sharp growths on the back of the legs. Hens may also get small spurs but they develop later.
Notice Differences in Body Size and Shape
Roosters are usually larger with bigger bodies and heads. They have a more upright, assertive posture compared to hens. Hens often appear smaller and have a tendency to squat down low when startled.
Watch for Early Signs of Aggression
Young roosters tend to show dominance and aggression sooner than hens They may try to chest bump each other or challenge other roosters Hens work out pecking order through chest bumping too but not as early,
Listen for Crowing
The most obvious sign is crowing, although hens may occasionally crow too. Roosters typically start crowing around 16-24 weeks old. If you hear crowing before 12 weeks of age, it’s likely coming from a rooster.
Vent Sexing
Professional chicken sexers determine the gender by examining the vent or reproductive organs. However, this should only be done by experienced professionals to avoid harming the chick.
Buy Sex-Linked Chickens
Sex-linked chicken breeds like Red Sex Links allow you to identify gender based on feather color at hatching. This is the most reliable method but requires getting specific hybrid breeds.
Separate Chicks by Size
Group chicks by size as they grow since roosters tend to be larger. But be aware hens can be large too so also watch for other indicators like hackle feathers.
See if Eggs Develop
The only 100% way to confirm a hen is if she starts laying eggs, usually around 18-24 weeks old. Roosters will never lay eggs.
Keep in mind that no single method is completely foolproof. Rooster characteristics sometimes show up in hens too. Observe chickens closely as they mature and look for multiple signs of gender. Patience is key when identifying roosters. If unsure, give it more time for differences to become obvious before deciding. With experience, telling roosters from hens will get easier.
Breed Specific Sex Characteristics:
Red on the wings is a sign that an Easter Egger chick is a rooster. All my EE roos have been evil but they are so beautiful!
That guy above was a jerk, you can see the red coloring on his wing. If you look closely you can also see the pointed hackles and the arching tail.
Male Welsummer chicks have a black chest that shows up when they lose the down and start going in regular feathers. The chest on pullets (females) will be red.
Barred chicks will show a difference as day-old chicks, males will have a large light-colored spot on the head and on females it will be smaller. I’ve never tried it but it’s supposed to be 80% correct.
Saddle and Hackle Feathers
This is my main method of telling hens from roosters. The object here is to identify the boys. If there aren’t any saddle feathers you can be pretty certain you’ve got a lady.
There are a few exceptions to this rule. Silkie, Sebright, and some Golden Campine roosters are called ‘hen feathered’ because they lack the district saddle and hackle feathers.
Roosters have elongated, narrow and pointy saddle feathers on their sides right in front of the tail. They spill over the sides like a waterfall.
These feathers start showing up around 8-10 weeks. Usually by 12 weeks they’ll be impossible to miss. Depending on the breed they may be colored differently than the other feathers.
Hackle feathers are found on the neck, in roosters they are also elongated and pointy. Hens also have hackle feathers but they will be more rounded at the ends. I pretty much ignore the necks and trust the saddle feathers to tell me what I need to know.
If you’ve ever seen two roosters fighting and it looks like they swallowed an umbrella, that’s the hackle feathers in action.
The most obvious tail clue is the presence of sickle feathers. Sickle feathers are the long, beautiful arched tail feathers that roosters have.
Unfortunately, they seem to take the brunt of rooster-on-rooster aggression and they don’t always stay stunning. I’ve also noticed a 50/50 shot on my Cochin roosters having long tail feathers.
Cochins are a very fluffy, soft-feathered breed and these features can be a little harder to see from far away or if you aren’t sure what you’re looking for.
The tails can also give you a few clues before those pretty sickles feathers grow in. When the tail feathers grow in you’ll notice that hens tails end bluntly. The feathers themselves will have rounded ends.
Rooster tails will start to arc at the end and the feathers will be pointier. In general, roosters seem to be pointier, both in appearance and personality.
How To Tell if Your Chicken is a Rooster
FAQ
What are the first signs your chicken is a rooster?
Chicks that are larger, stockier, have thicker legs, and start to develop a larger comb and wattles will more than likely be roosters. Chicks that are smaller and who have shorter, more petite legs will more than likely be hens. Roosters will also carry themselves more upright than hens.
At what age can you tell a rooster is a rooster?
Sickle and hackle feathers are late to develop, around 16-24 weeks, possibly after the first crow. Saddle feathers grow by around 8-12 weeks, making them a much more reliable way to identify a rooster early on.
How do you know if a chicken is a rooster?
The distinctive peak on the skull of both the hens and the roosters of this breed serves as an easy indicator of the species. Another chicken with an odd appearance. Color palettes range from “whiskery” to “non-hairy” to “frizzle.” Feathered crests may obscure their vision, leaving the hens vulnerable to predators.
Is a chicken a rooster or a cockerel?
A male chicken below the age of one is termed a cockerel, and once surpassing the one-year mark, it assumes the title of a rooster. In discerning chickens from roosters, the key distinction is their gender. A rooster is the grown-up male counterpart, whereas the term “chicken” encompasses both male and female birds.
How do you know if a chicken is a cockerel or Pullet?
During the first 4 to 17 weeks of age, it is difficult to determine if a chicken is a cockerel (male) or pullet (female). However, you can notice some differences. A cockerel has a bulkier and broader body.