There is an old wives tale that you can determine the sex of an unborn child by dangling a pencil with a needle and thread over the wrist of pregnant woman. I know of this because I used it to determine the sex of my children and have used it many many more times on others. So I decided to try it to see how well it would work for determining the sex of little chicks and so far have had amazing success. I have had a lot of people that come to buy chicks and I often give a one more time pencil test just to make sure I get a repeat result that it is a pullet and I can tell they think I am loony but I finally had a lady that knew exactly what I was doing and said that that is how she determined the sex of her last two children. So at risk of several of you assuming I am a nut I am copying the instructions from E-how and modifying it for what I do for chicks.
Sharpen a number two lead pencil (I use a shorter pencil). Make sure that it is sharp so you can observe any movement.
Sharpen a number two lead pencil (I use a shorter pencil). Make sure that it is sharp so you can observe any movement.
- Thread a piece of sewing thread though a needle. The size of the thread is not important, just
so it is long enough to dangle the pencil over the chick.
- Stick the tip of the needle into the top of the pencil eraser. The needle should be stuck in enough so that when you hold the pencil by the thread, it will not fall out. The sharpened point of the pencil should be facing downward.
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Place chick in your hand, I hold it up to my stomach, with its little head and neck showing. I do hold it semi tight so it doesn't jump out of my hand. Ensure you are away from any wind or breeze. - Pick up the pencil by the string and dangle it so the tip of the pencil is just over the chicks head, making sure that your hand is very still. I tend have my elbow, that is holding the pencil, tucked up close against my ribs rather than suspended in air because you can influence the movement of the pencil with just minimal movement.
- Observe the pencil, as it should begin to move. If the pencil moves in a straight line you have a cockerel. If the pencil moves in a circle, you have a pullet. If you think you have possible influenced the pencil and want to start over just stop the pencil and start over again.
I don't expect that everyone would be comfortable with this system so try doing some tests and mark the chicks with leg bands and wait and see. This is what I did in the beginning. Also if you want instant confirmation do this on an older chick that you already know is a pullet or cockerel you just need to get them to hold fairly still.
One more note: I can assume this will work if you are a man, and not understanding what really causes the pencil to move one way or another but I, being a female, have had success. If anyone has success with this it would be fun to know.
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