How do I know all the chicks I buy are hens?

When ordering chicks, you'll want to get pullets instead of straight run. Sexing of chicks is 90% accurate, so there is a chance that you may end up with a rooster. With the newfound popularity of backyard flocks, local animal shelters are now seeing an influx of roosters. As a responsible chicken owner you need to plan ahead: instead of dropping off unplanned roosters at the shelter or setting them free, find a farmer who is willing to take it or put it in a soup pot when it just begins to crow.