Can you sex chicks by rubbing them and knowing when they shake or not?

[MixedFlock23]

I might give it a shot on my chicks this year and record some data for it, though. I can't decide if I'm curious enough to see if this will work under any circumstances, or resistant to getting quite that personal with my chicks.

Feeling the same!

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

Feeling the same!

My pullets will shake after i hold them. But there is one bird that wont.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I did give this a shot on the two chicks I have right now, but they didn't shake or squat, they just acted distressed and tried to escape. These are my babies, so I didn't want to traumatize them and I left it at that. I don't think this method is for me.

 

[Nenad]

I did give this a shot on the two chicks I have right now, but they didn't shake or squat, they just acted distressed and tried to escape. These are my babies, so I didn't want to traumatize them and so I left it at that. I don't think this method is for me.

I also tried with these 3 that I first tried and one that did shake, she didn't when I tried inside so I think that is to her(hopefully) not being comfy at that space where she didn't spend most of her time. Then I tried again outside and she shaked off like before

 

[MixedFlock23]

I tried it with our 5 & 6 week old chicks right after posting this morning. Curiosity won over weirdness! Ha!

Five of them are supposedly pullets (4 vent sexed by hatchery—three chicks are 6 weeks old & one is 5 weeks old & the fifth pullet is a 5 week old sex link). The other three chicks are unknown genders but I think I only have one cockerel… and all seven suspected pullets shook but the suspected cockerel did not!!

Number 4 in the photos is our suspected cockerel (the Silkie, 5 weeks old). The Silkie has a large comb & thick legs. “He” alone didn’t shake off my butt brushing. (So weird to admit I did that!)

The two Polish (5 weeks old) were straight run (but we chose the largest head poofs when they were 4 days old). I really hope this incredibly awkward method is correct!! For female Polishes!

 

[Nenad]

I try with mine every day and always same result. One that shakes and 2 don't. One of mine that doesn't shake has rose comb and its starting to get red, other that shakes off with same comb and more feathering has yellow comb and third one that don't shake has single yellow comb. Also I think you did pretty good but I do it little different but you have your results. Please update so we both know if this works. I came up with this method from nowhere when I saw my cockerel mating with new pullet that squatted for me like crazy. But she didn't shake off after she squats if you don't touch under her wings and around base of tail, and I moved tail in one side st the end of "massage". I know when roo gets to mate he hold on her neck and that gets him to balance and her to move her tail. I think that this method is good but sometimes when chicks are in non familiar enviroment they don't shake off. I try with mine outside where they free range every day and are there with their other chick friends. I tried with one that shakes off inside and she didn't shake off I think 'cuz she didn't know that place.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

This method doesn’t work.
They shake off because they’re getting their feathers back into place.
Not because they feel “mated”.
They don’t even have the hormones to know when to squat, so why would shaking mean anything?
I’m sure you’ve all seen your flock members shake themselves before, regardless of mating. Whether they’re just foraging, or just had a dust bath, etc.
It’s to make their feathers settle back into the right spot.

All that unnecessary ruffling and rubbing displaced some of their feathers so they shake them right back into place, just for the same reason a hen shakes after mating.
It doesn’t mean a darn thing, and y’all have just sexually harassed your birds.

So maybe we drop this inaccurate and inappropriate method, huh?

 

[Nenad]

This method doesn’t work.
They shake off because they’re getting their feathers back into place.
Not because they feel “mated”.
They don’t even have the hormones to know how it when to squat, so why would shaking mean anything?
I’m sure you’ve all seen your flock members shake themselves before, regardless of mating. Whether they’re just foraging, or just had a dust bath, etc.
It’s to make their feathers settle back into the right spot.

All that unnecessary ruffling and rubbing displaced some of their feathers so they shake them right back into place, just for the same reason a hen shakes after mating.
It doesn’t mean a darn thing, and y’all have just sexually harassed your birds.

So maybe we drop this inaccurate and inappropriate method, huh?

You know more than me, I agree with you but can you explain why some do shake off and other don't? Im not sure why is that.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

I actually tried it with my 5 week old pullets. Six, all females. 4 shook their feathers back into place and 2 didn’t. It doesn’t mean they’re males - they’re sexed females with no male development. But they didn’t feel like shaking themselves off.
So I definitely believe this is inaccurate.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

You know more than me, I agree with you but can you explain why some do shake off and other don't? Im not sure why is that.

Perhaps it just doesn’t bother some to have displaced feathers.
If i is this to my squatting adult hens most shake themselves off but one just preens herself instead.