Welsummer chicks can be sexed upon hatch based on their color and markings.
Females on the left and in the middle, male on the right. Eyeliner is a good indication of sex.
Females have a strong eyeliner extending from the beak to the ear, with the back marking fully connected all the way, while males have a disjointed eyeliner and back marking.
Eyeliner comparison: Two female chicks on the left versus one male on the right.
Back marking comparison: Male chick (center) versus females (right and left).
Males exhibit a disjointed back marking around the neck, while females display a fully joined marking from head to tail.
We have found that sexing Welsummer chicks can sometimes be challenging. Here are a few guidelines to help:
1. Head Marking: Females tend to have bigger, more defined head markings.
2. Marking Continuity: If the head marking continues along the neck and body, it’s likely a female. Males often have a “discontinued” marking around the neck.
3. Down Color: Males are generally lighter, while females are darker.
4. Eyeline: Females typically have more defined, darker eyelines, whereas males have fainter ones.
Some chicks may show characteristics of both sexes, which can be confusing. We advise not to make any decisions if you are not 100% sure. They will not take long to confirm their sex 100% as males will have black chest body colours while females have more ginger based body colour.
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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.
