Check Comb/Wattle Colors and Sizes

 A chicken’s comb can tell you a lot of information about it, including its gender. If you’re looking for a less invasive way to sex a chicken, you can keep an eye on its comb. This method of sexing a chicken is not as accurate as the above two methods, but it’s easier and doesn’t take as much skill or practice.

If you’re using this method to sex a chicken, you’ll have to watch the chick as it grows. Once chicks are a few weeks old, their combs will become much more noticeable. A taller, fuller comb on a chick’s head most likely means it’s a male.

The color of a chick’s comb can also be an excellent indication of its gender. In almost all cases, a male chick’s comb is going to be much brighter than that of a female. It doesn’t matter what color the comb is; it can be pink, red, neutral color or some other. Regardless, the males’ will be brighter than the females’.

The same is true of the chicks’ wattles. In male chicks, the wattle will grow faster, longer and turn a brighter color than those of the females. So if you have a large batch of chicks, watch for those that begin to grow wattles the earliest. Those are likely males.

*Note: Using a chick’s comb to determine its gender may not work as well with pea comb breeds of chicks. Only chicks with regular combs can be sexed in this way.



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