Speckled Sussex chicks can be slightly tricky to sex for beginners, especially without other chicks of the same hatch to compare. Experienced keepers can make an early guess around 4-6 weeks, but we recommend waiting until around 10-12 weeks to be certain, especially for beginners.
Males tend to exhibit more white feathering, particularly with wheaten-based genetics, during their early stages before their first molt. – Hatched from Speckled Sussex fertile eggs
Comparison of siblings from the same hatch at 11 weeks old reveals the male with a more developed, thicker, and larger comb and wattles compared to the female.
Females can exhibit wattles and a pink coloration similar to males, as shown in the photo. However, determining sex is easier when comparing with a male from the same hatch; otherwise, it can be tricky.
Males develop “saddle feathers,” which are pinny, shiny feathers along the spine in front of the tail, while females have round feathers only. Additionally, males moult out white feathers and grow darker base color feathers at this age.
12-week-old Speckled Sussex sibling comb and wattle comparison. While females can show pink coloring, it is never as bright as males. Bright pink/red coloring typically only occurs when a female is close to laying age.
The sexing tips provided on the website are based on our experiences with offspring from our specific bloodlines. Each bloodline carries its own unique genetics, leading to variations in traits and development rates. Therefore, we advise using our suggestions as general guidelines only.
On the 4 side by side of the speckled sussex did the top pics accidentally get marked backwards.??? 😉 the more dominant features is marked girl?!?!
Hello Mindy,
You are 100% correct. We missed that one! We have now replaced the image with correct label. Thank you so much for spotting it and letting us know. ☺️🙏🏼