Grau Fee feather sexing?

[Oob Child]

I have a beautiful Grau Fee that I want to feather sex. I'm pretty sure it's a male, but I would just like to make sure.

I've already seen a thread about this by Nabiki, but it's over 2 years old and I don't want to revive a dead thread.

Here are some photos of Hercules just in case you can. I really don't want to try vent sexing him/her.

 

[le_bwah]

Are you sure that color is Grau Fee? Looks more like a rosetta, which must be vent sexed.

Why the hesitation about vent sexing, anyway?

 

[Oob Child]

Are you sure that color is Grau Fee? Looks more like a rosetta, which must be vent sexed.

Why the hesitation about vent sexing, anyway?

She'd probably hate me if I tried
I've gotten told by lots of people it's a Grau Fee. I just thought it was a variation of it.

 

[le_bwah]

She'd probably hate me if I tried
I've gotten told by lots of people it's a Grau Fee. I just thought it was a variation of it.

Southwest Gamebirds has a pretty good picture of a rosetta (try the second of three, a bit down the page). Even the darkest grau fee looks different from this bird.

Also, it's doubtful birds can "hate," but they for sure can become and behave wary. As long as you wait until after 6 weeks of age, you're pretty much guaranteed to feel or not feel the lump below the vent that indicates a male. It doesn't hurt the bird to check—plus as long as you don't handle them overlong, you're not likely to damage their birdy trust.

If all else fails, "beer sexing" is an option—sit back and wait for it to crow.

 

[Oob Child]

Southwest Gamebirds has a pretty good picture of a rosetta (try the second of three, a bit down the page). Even the darkest grau fee looks different from this bird.

The second one has similar colour to mine, but different patterns.

Also, it's doubtful birds can "hate," but they for sure can become and behave wary. As long as you wait until after 6 weeks of age, you're pretty much guaranteed to feel or not feel the lump below the vent that indicates a male. It doesn't hurt the bird to check—plus as long as you don't handle them overlong, you're not likely to damage their birdy trust.

I guess I'll try. So where exactly do I feel? What should it feel like? I think the males have a bump and the females don't, is that right?
Do I have to put the bird upside down or something?

If all else fails, "beer sexing" is an option—sit back and wait for it to crow.

The thing is, this one is the quietest of the bunch. The others crow but this one doesn't, and the others are confirmed female. (They have both laid eggs before).

 

[le_bwah]

I guess I'll try. So where exactly do I feel? What should it feel like? I think the males have a bump and the females don't, is that right?
Do I have to put the bird upside down or something?

You just grab the bird "overhand," flip them upside down, and feel/look for a bald-ish pea-sized lump between their cloaca and their tail, right near the cloaca. If you find it and press on it, a kind of white foam will come out of their vent. If there's no bump and no foam, it's probably a female. But you want to wait until they're for sure sexually mature to try, or else the males might not be showing yet. That's about six weeks for most, a little longer for some.

The thing is, this one is the quietest of the bunch. The others crow but this one doesn't, and the others are confirmed female. (They have both laid eggs before).

Wait, if even one of the others is crowing (not just a little warble, but a full on crow), how is it female? Could the other egg have come from the bird in this post?

 

[Oob Child]

You just grab the bird "overhand," flip them upside down, and feel/look for a bald-ish pea-sized lump between their cloaca and their tail, right near the cloaca. If you find it and press on it, a kind of white foam will come out of their vent. If there's no bump and no foam, it's probably a female. But you want to wait until they're for sure sexually mature to try, or else the males might not be showing yet. That's about six weeks for most, a little longer for some.

This one is 7 weeks 1 day. I'll try that and post my finding afterwards. Thanks!

Wait, if even one of the others is crowing (not just a little warble, but a full on crow), how is it female? Could the other egg have come from the bird in this post?

Not sure. I've never heard a quail crow, but they do make pretty loud cackling sounds

 

[Nabiki]

Grau fee are not feather sexable. If you won't vent sex, then you will need to wait until it crows or lays.

 

[Oob Child]

Ok, that was nuts. It kicked, scratched and wriggled so much. I couldn't see a bald patch, or find a lump. Now the poor baby is traumatized and my hands are covered in scratches. Some are even bleeding a bit
I guess I'll just assume it's male until it lays an egg.

 

[le_bwah]

Ok, that was nuts. It kicked, scratched and wriggled so much. I couldn't see a bald patch, and now the poor baby is traumatized.

You still have to feel for the lump if you can't see it. The bird will be fine, rest assured. Better to get them habituated to harmless handling than have the first time you need to hold them be during an emergency.

Edit: you can avoid scratches by not giving them anything to kick against—that means resisting the impulse to tuck them in close, and also coming at them "from behind" (sort of "under" their legs' range of motion).