How can I identify the gender of young chickens?
Teenage chickens can be sexed by their saddle feathers, combs and wattles.
Pullets, female chickens that have yet to ovulate and lay an egg, have rounded saddle feathers. Roosters - male chickens - have pointed saddle feathers. Located on a chicken's lower back just in front of the tail, saddle feathers are where the wing tips rest. Pointed saddle feathers on juvenile roosters begin to grow in at about 10 weeks of age.
Roosters grow larger combs and wattles, and as juveniles more quickly form them than the pullets.
These juvenile Blue-laced Red Wyandottes were photographed at night, because the calmest, easiest way to catch chickens is when they're asleep after dark.
In the photo above a juvenile rooster with pointed saddle feathers and larger comb and wattles.
In this next photo, a juvenile pullet with rounded saddle feathers and smaller comb and wattle.
