How To Sex A Chicken - Wisdom From An Old Timer

[gg706]

THIS IS HILARIOUS!!!!!!

I have found that after about 20-28 weeks of carefully observation that the birds that eggs come out of are hens. I have had 100% success with this system.

 

[clogan98]

So I just tried this with my chicks. Apparently all my girls are boys, lol. They all tucked in their feet...and called me quite the few bad names. My Orpington, Americauna, and Brahma all let me hold them on their backs calmly. My Australorp raised bloody hell and refused. These "gals" are between 1-2 weeks old. All bought sexed from Urban Farm Store. Really wish they just hatched out pink or blue!

 

[Calla]

Yesss

I bought this gadget 3 years ago on Ebay, bred silverlace and blue Polish bantams and tried this dangly .....not a ring.....but a magnet on a thin ribbon and ...hurray....only had 2 boys of 85 chicks, which I wanted, to sell as unrelated to another breeder.

I 1st tried it on some of my other Animals, where I knew the sex, Rheas, Llamas, Pygmy goats,Turkeys, Dog and Cats and other poultry etc.
It worked great.

FORGOT to mention, I tested all the eggs with this 'THINGY' before incubating...disgarded all the Boys, why waste time and eggs you can eat...or boil for your Chicks, Cats, Dogs etc.

Calla

 

[cjwaldon]

You really discarded eggs because some gadget told you they were boys? And this gadget says you have only 2 boys out of 85 chicks? How old are these chicks and how did you verify the accuracy of this 'thingy'? Are the chicks grown out sufficiently to confirm gender, or did you vent sex them all? If this gadget is this accurate, I want one, too!

 

[KelsiNS]

A woman we bought chicks from picked them up by the head to sex them. I yanked those birds out of her hands and said, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" she said, "sexing them." I told her id rather take my chances of getting a boy than watch her snatch up five week old birds by the skull.

 

[GimmeCake]

Oh cool! I had no idea, maybe next time I will get some of those since its easier to tell Although I heard you cant breed them.

They are sexed when they hatch (why would someone buy a sex link straight run?), because the breeders can instantly tell if it's a boy or girl with 100% accuracy. You can't breed them because the coloring is only different between the boys and the girls when they're parents are different breeds. If you breed them again, you won't be able to tell which is a boy and which is a girl.

 

[jdoane]

OMG this thread was hysterical!!!

But of course when I finished reading it I had to go try! My chicks are two weeks old. Supposedly all pullets. Three were sexed at Meyers and two were feather sexed by a local breeder (English Orpingtons - he showed me the difference and boy was there a difference - mind you he was not guaranteeing anything). I did two methods - holding them up and seeing if they dangle or pull up their legs and flipping them over on their backs. Chicks 1, 2 and 3 (Sexed by Meyers) "tested" as pullets but both methods Chicks 4 (Feather sexed) "tested" as pullet by both methods Chick 5 (Feather sexed) "tested" as pullet by dangling method and roo by back method. I'll let you know in a few months! But I'd have to say I put more stock in the wait for a crow or an egg!

another update. So far it looks like chicks 1 2 3 and 4 are pullets. Chick 5 is looking pretty rooish! Still early as they are only 5 weeks but it looks like the old wives tales may have called this one! Lol

 

[jdoane]

Here are Pictures. Feel free to vote on gender!

Chick 1 - Luna - Turned out to be a Golden Sex Link so we KNOW she's a pullet - dangle and back test said Pullet


Chick 2 - Jiji - Barred Rock. Some thought at 4 weeks she was a cockerel but there has been no further comb development. Darker feathers say Pullet. Dangle and Back test said Pullet


Chick 3 - Ebony - Black Australorp - Folks on the Australorp Breed thread think Pullet. Back and Dangle test said Pullet


Chick 4 - Bella - Blue/Black English Orpington. I'm guess Pullet based on comparing comb to Chick 5. Dangle and Back test said Pullet


And last but not least.....
Chick 5 - Hedwig (maybe needs to be Harry). Looking like a roo to me. Folks on English Orp thread think so too. Dangle test said Pullet. Back test said Roo



Dang - gonna be pretty too!

 

[tatertot]

Turns out that when I did the funny old techniques it did work.  The ones that "tested" as pullets were and the one that didn't wasn't!

....what
What old method that you tried worked?

 

[newbie32]

I'm a new member on this board and as a beginner chickeneer/farmer I was surprised by all the superstition that surrounds this topic. I hear it everyday from religious people, psychics, witches, ghost hunters, palm readers, etc. I was thinking, maybe raising chickens I can get back to the basics and get away from all that and enjoy living off the land.

Nope. Well I can live off the land still but I wanted to bring up the issue of lack of evidence and show why it is important to not fall prey to these ridiculous methods I've been hearing about.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned using horoscope signs, tarot cards, pendulums(oops, someone did mention that), magic wands, crystal balls, etc, to sex the chickens. There is a reason that well-educated scientist, doctors, and scholars don't resort to these tactics. Kinda like Alternative Medicine vs Medicine. If it is proven and tested with demonstrable evidence, it's medicine. If hasn't been tested or it failed the test presented, it is alternative. There is the real way to sex chickens and then there is superstition. I want to encourage everyone to seek the truth in ANY endeavor in your life. I am doing my part by investigating various homesteading topics, chicken raising, see which are fact and fake.

I hope everyone see my post not as an attack, belittling, or arrogant. I simply want people to look at the facts that are in front of you and make a decision that way. I hope to meet and talk to many of you whom I see on here quite often. Good luck and happy egging!

So which way IS scientifically proven? You mentioned one so what is it? The hatcheries must not have been informed since they always seem to mess up orders and give us roos when we don't order them.