It can be quite difficult for a city dweller inexperienced in farming to distinguish an adult hen from a rooster, and even more so if he is offered to sort the chickens by gender. However, finding the differences is easy if you know a few simple tricks.
Instructions
Step 1
Examine the scallop - a small tuft on the chicken's head. In a rooster, the comb is much larger and brighter than that of a chicken, it is always red, while in a chicken it is small and pale. The chin under the beak and cheeks of the rooster also have a bright and juicy color.
Step 2
The tail and wings of the rooster are decorated with multi-colored feathers, and on the legs above the legs there are sharp spurs with which a cocky rooster can inflict deep wounds on its rival. Fighting attributes are needed for a rooster to attract the attention of chickens. Chickens, on the other hand, have faded feathers: from a pale beige shade to the usual brown, earthy color.
Step 3
A chicken is usually one and a half to two times smaller than a rooster in size. The weight of adult chickens reaches 3 kg, roosters - 4.5 kg. Hens store less fat, and males naturally need to have a good supply of fat.
Step 4
The tail feathers of a rooster are always longer and brighter than those of a hen. As a rule, the rooster's tail is the most distinctive feature of the loud-voiced village singer. Feathers on the neck also differ significantly in adult birds of different sexes. In the cockerel, the feathers on the neck are longer, thinner and more pointed. And the chicken's feathers are short and rounded at the end.
Step 5
Pay attention to the footprint left by the paw of the chicken and rooster. Due to the fact that the hind toe on the rooster's foot is shorter and slightly set aside, and the lateral toes are wide, the rooster's paw print looks like a cross. In a chicken, the print is more compact, the foot is collected and directed forward, the back part is less protruding.
Step 6
Another distinctive feature is the characteristic cry "ku-ka-re-ku". For the most part, the chicks squeak, but if among the chicks already at 2-3 months someone starts to screech loudly and shout over others, then in front of you is most likely a cockerel.
Step 7
In communicating with each other, chickens are more tolerant and calm than roosters. The latter are often aggressive towards their own kind and even towards humans.
Step 8
Finally, the surest and most reliable way to determine the sex of a chick is the ability to lay eggs. Unable to distinguish a chicken from a rooster by external signs, you just have to wait until five to six months of age. If the bird begins to lay eggs, you are facing 100% chicken. If she does not rush into any, there is a very high probability that this is a rooster.
