Can you tell sex by wing feathers?

PQ

Songster
10 Years
Feb 5, 2009
588
2
141
Platina, Ca.
Ok was ay swap last weekend and someone bought a chick from me I swore was a roo. She said it is a pullet, "see look at the even wing feathers"...
I got home and started looking at all my older sexed birds and every one was different, or am I not looking at the right feathers? I thought she as she held out the wing she was refering all the tips of feathers all the way down the wing.
What do you all think?
 
Quote:
Roosters do have longer wing feathers, but more often you can better tell by the feathers and how they lay down the neck... saddle feathers and hackles... and of course the size of the comb and wattles. Some don't develop until later so it can be hard to guess when they are young.
 
There is feather sexing that works SOMETIMES. You look at the length of the two rows of flight feathers. (There's a specific name for them, but I can remember what it is.) If the two rows are the same length, then it's supposedly a roo, and if the first row is longer than the second then it's going to be a pullet. The theory is that these particular feathers grow in faster with pullets then roos. This only work right when the wing feathers come in, about 3 days or so.
 
Thanks guys that was interesting to learn.
The gal at swap was doing it to a bird we hatched out at christmas... a little to old I assume to tell
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A little Millie Fluer Cochin I'm sure was a roo. Got home and thought what the heck I cant tell a thing when looking at my older sexed birds other then the neck and tails but the wings?? LOL
 

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