California - Northern

[ronott1]

i saw someone advertise they sexed their chicks. It's just a "regular Joe". Is that possible? i thought "sexers" were few and far between. and they breeds weren't auto-sexing at all. How often do you hear of backyard hobbyists that can sex chicks?

You are correct. Hatcheries are often 90% correct with vent sexing, which is about as good as it gets with chicks that are not autosexing or sexlinked.

I would not expect much better than 50 with day old chicks using most of the other methods. Some breeds you can tell at three days old with feather sexing but not 90%. After a week or so you can tell with some breeds by the length of tail feather. A bit later you can often tell by comb and wattle size and color.

 

[ronott1]

I'm at about 90% with the BLRW's feather sexing at day 1 or 2, the bantam mixes I was 50/50. With the basques all bets were off.

Have you tried the black or gray color on the Basque wings at three days? That seemed to work because you can pick up the barring gene or color difference.

With Basque, you can tell by looking at the tail feathers. Roosters will have a gray and white barring on the tail and the pullets will not. That takes a week or so though.

 

[OR4-hmom]

Bet they are hatchery chicks. People buy and resell. Or they are wing sexing a lot of people think it works. I have been banned from bords for telling people not to do that and sell chicks as pullets.g

I list mine as "unsexed" to avoid any confusion when the crowing starts but I don't sell many.

 

[Flowers of Abba]

No problem, I can hold them a bit longer for you.  Just let me know.

Well I'm due June 3rd:-0 that's a long hold. You can sell them to someone more time efficient ... I still will compensate you for wasting your time this far. P.me your paypal addy maybe?

Bet they are hatchery chicks. People buy and resell. Or they are wing sexing a lot of people think it works. I have been banned from bords for telling people not to do that and sell chicks as pullets.g

You? Banned? No way! Your so kind and helpful! It's so sad when people can't listen respectfully and glean what they want even if they don't agree!

 

[OR4-hmom]

Have you tried the black or gray color on the Basque wings at three days? That seemed to work because you can pick up the barring gene or color difference.

With Basque, you can tell by looking at the tail feathers. Roosters will have a gray and white barring on the tail and the pullets will not. That takes a week or so though.

I've had very limited practice since only 7 hatched from the OK eggs and the solo chick from Megan came out of the shell with a 100% boy stance and attitude.

There were 2 chicks in the OK hatch that were white for the first 6 weeks then came in mille, a boy and a girl. I'm not stressing over sexing them since I'm not hatching them yet. When I start seeing more I'll step up the learning curve.

 

[chiqita]

Well I'm due June 3rd:-0 that's a long hold. You can sell them to someone more time efficient ... I still will compensate you for wasting your time this far. P.me your paypal addy maybe?
You? Banned? No way! Your so kind and helpful! It's so sad when people can't listen respectfully and glean what they want even if they don't agree!

Haha you people are used to my sense of humor. But people dont like being told bluntly what they are doing is bs.

 

[juststruttin]

i saw someone advertise they sexed their chicks. It's just a "regular Joe". Is that possible? i thought "sexers" were few and far between. and they breeds weren't auto-sexing at all. How often do you hear of backyard hobbyists that can sex chicks?

There is a woman in Napa who states on her website that she sexes with 90% accuracy. Not sure if she would be willing to teach others but it might be worth asking.

It looks like she is no longer selling chickens, but her site is still up.

Here is a link to her website:
http://www.napabackyardchickens.com/about-usfaq.html

 

[juststruttin]

I made the mistake of posting a picture of my feed store EE there too. They don't waste much time. do they? Mine was a cockerel so no way to tell what egg gene he had. My feeling was that, like with a pure bred dog, even if it doesn't meet the SOP for markings or conformation, a Golden Retriever is still a Golden Retriever. I was quickly informed that was not the case and that if it met all the other standards but was not one of the accepted colors, it should be referred to as an EE Ameraucana. All I really cared about was the colored egg and really only posted the picture for feedback on whether it was a pullet or cockerel. That was when I was informed that he was inferior and I should not clutter up their pages with posts about him.
But I have some now from Chickee. One is a color cross, but the other is a pure Ameraucana. I can't wait for those first eggs!

" Oh no you didn't"

Not sure if my valley girl voice came through or not, but I have seen people make that mistake before. There are no holes barred in that forum. It sure would be easier if the hatcheries stopped calling EEs Ameracaunas. IMHO EE are great birds and have a place in the backyard flock; and they deserve their own name.

 

[alibra]

I think it it definitley time to toss the other eggs.  Are you brave enough to open them?  Or at least candle them to see what was going on in them?


And YEAH for Day 26 baby!!!  :yiipchick

Heck no! Not opening! I know they were alive... I'll toss them today or tomorrow when I'm less lazy.

 

[ronott1]

Heck no! Not opening! I know they were alive... I'll toss them today or tomorrow when I'm less lazy.

I agree. Low temperature during incubation was the most likely cause.

The new incubator will fix that.