I have 2 questions, any one else heard this?

[coyotesmommy]

I have 2 questions.
1. I have heard that when a chick is about 2 or 3 days old you can tell if it is a hen or a rooster by the pen feathers on it's wings. If they are all straight and even it will be a rooster, if it is odd and uneven then you have a hen. But you can only do this right after they start feathering. Has anyone else heard this?

2. After I have figured out the sex I want to put bands on the legs of the roosters, any idea on what to use? Zip tie, rubber band?

 

[RedDrgn]

I have heard of examining the feathers, but I don't know if there is any validity to it.

As far as marking males/females, if they're too small for the smallest sized leg bands (intended for that use), then I don't know if it'd be a good idea to mark them. A zip tie or sturdy rubber band would probably be okay so long as they couldn't break or potentially ingest any of it AND it was loose fitting and did not restrict blood flow at all. Just remember to check them often to make sure they don't get too tight, because chicks grow amazingly fast.

 

[blueberrychickens]

I use the feather sexing technique & so far it has worked out pretty well for me. I use tiny zip ties on their legs & check them often to make sure they aren't getting tight on their legs.

 

[CarolJ]

You can get colored zip ties at Lowe's or Home Depot. With those you can use different colored to distinguish breeds, male/female. I'd be wary of rubber bands, though. And make sure you don't make zip ties too tight.

 

[Chemguy]

I think that sexing by pin feathers alone wprks better for some breeds than for others. I also recall that the feature to look for in pin feathers is different for different breeds. Experienced sexers will use a combination of traits, like feathering, leg color, and vent sexing. Let us know your batting average!