Male and female chicks differ in color and have feathers that vary in length.
Determining the sex of a baby chick is a process known as sexing. Sexing is rarely an easy process, especially for someone who has little or no experience dealing with chickens and who hasn't been properly trained to look for the gender signs. There are a few different methods for identifying which chicks are cockerels, or roosters, and which ones are hens.
Instructions
1. Inspect the color of day-old chicks and the kind of feathers they have. Rooster chicks have uniform-looking feathers that are the same size; while hen chicks have primary and secondary feathers that vary in size. Rooster chicks also tend to be a dusty brown color; while hen chicks typically have pale or white feathers.
2. Inspect the chicks by vent sexing. Hold the chick gently in your hand and tip it upsidedown, so you have a clear view of the cloaca, or anal vent. Examine the vent, located under the chick's tail, to see if a genital organ is present. A rooster chick will have larger, pimple-looking red dot in the vent, while a hen chick will have smaller, pale dot.
3. Monitor the chicks in the weeks after they are born. Rooster chicks will stop chirping and start attempting to crow at an early age. Rooster chicks also tend to develop combs earlier than hen chicks. While both hens and roosters get combs, the comb on a rooster will be larger and more brightly colored.
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