Feather sexing at 3 weeks old? Does it work?

[BlueShadow]

I watched this video about looking at wing and tail feathers at 3 weeks old to predict gender. If all the wing feathers are long, and the tail feathers are long, it's a female. If the outer wing feathers are long and the wing feathers nearer the elbow are short, and the tail is short, it's a male. They show it with several different breeds... orpington, Australorp, and others.

Does anyone have experience with this? Does it actually work?
I know I have seen those feather patterns as chicks grow, but I never thought it might be associated with gender.

Link to video (Hopefully it works):

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7206067269989043502

 

[LaFleche]

Sorry to disappoint, but it does not work this way.

For example, in this video the second black chic they "identified" as female was very clearly a male: bigger comb and wattles already reddening.

 

[Saveria]

A friend of mine who breeds sold me pullets using this method and only one out of five was actually a pullet.

 

[nuthatched]

Its hogwash, 85% of chicken posts, blogs and vlogs are bogus.

 

[Saveria]

Yeah, I end up reading articles and leaving comments warning people that 99% of the info is wrong.

 

[house1917]

In everyday reality, this is unfortunately hogwash as @nuthatched said.

And @Saveria 's hands on experience proves it out!

There's science that supports the theory though, but only in very specific, planned crossings.

The breeder/farmer would need to cross a fast feathering rooster (like a purebred Leghorn, or Minorca) with a slow feathering hen (like an purebred Orpington or Rock) and then at a day old- the pullets would have the "stepped wing feathers" and the cockerels would have flat.

So totally possible, just not probable in an everyday barnyard setting!

The quote below is from a scientific piece and has the technical explanation:

When fast-feathered k+k+ roosters are mated to slow-feathered K hens, the sex of their progeny can be easily recognized at the day of hatch: resulting in fast feathered female chicks k+ and slow feathered male chicks Kk+.

You'll also hear myths like if you spook the chicks cockerels will stand tall, and pullets will duck down. Or, if you put your hand in the brooder cockerels will come over and peck it, and pullets will stay away. And I'll bet 99% of the experienced chicken folks on this site will say- 'well, it depends...'!