92 PROGRESSIVE POULTRY CULTURE 



lets for breeding or exhibition stock and in developing 

 pullets for laying flocks, the management of the chick- 

 ens may be alike for several months after they pass th 

 brooding period. As soon as the sexes can be determin- 

 ed, the cockerel chicks should be separated from the 

 pullet chicks and the two sexes thereafter colonized in 

 separate flocks. 



Separating the Sexes. It is easy to determine the 

 sex of chicks of the Leghorn and other Mediterranean 

 breeds, at eight weeks old. The combs of the male chicks 

 usually show conspicuously because of larger size and 

 brighter red color than the combs of the female chicks. 

 The little cockerels are also more obstreperous and eager 

 for mock fights than their sister chicks. The latter, 

 however, oftentimes develop the wing and tail feathers 

 faster than the little cockerels. Chicks of the Ameri- 

 can class of breeds, such as the Plymouth Rocks, Wy- 

 andottes and! Rhode Island Reds, are slower than the 

 Leghorns in showing sex characteristics. The cockerel 

 chicks at ten to twelve weeks old, should average a lit- 

 tle larger and somewhat coarser than the pullet chicks. 

 The Brahmas and other Asiatics may not show distinct 

 differences between the sexes of the chicks until they 

 are fifteen weeks old and even at that age, it is frequent- 

 ly difficult to separate them according to sexes. By this 

 time however, the shanks and toes of the cockerel chicks 

 should appear larger in size than those of the pullet 

 chicks. The voice of the chick is usually a good indica- 

 tion of its sex. Taking a chick in the hand and remov- 

 ing a short distance from the brood, will commonly 

 cause emphatic peeping by the prisoner. If a male 

 chick the voice will usually be coarser and deeper in 

 tone than that of a female chick, which latter is likely 

 to be fine in tone and high of pitch. The interested 

 poultryman, attending daily to the wants of his broods 

 gradually learns to note these andi many minor differ- 

 ences between the cockerel and pullet chicks. After one 

 or two seasons' experience, he is able, without difficulty 

 to distinguish the sexes during the brooding period. 



Weaning the Chicks. When chicks are brooded by 



