I know, I know, still have to ask! Sex chick by holding scruff of neck

[SIMPleChick]

I have a 5 week old silkie chick that I put up for sale and a guy called wanting to know if it was a hen or not. He had me do a "test" as he called it to see if it was a hen. He told me to hold the chick by the scruff of the neck and see if the legs dangled or if she pulled them up. My silkie is a bantam and still petty small so I went ahead and did it. My silkie's legs dangled, he siad with that, and the fact that the comb area looked indented and a bit greenish that it was a SHE. He also told me that this was how all the "hispanic" chicken workers told him and also a person at a feed store told him how to sex the silkies and it always worked fo him.

SOooo.....I want to know if this is true, what you think about this method, and then I read on line that it was opposite! If legs dangle it's a boy NOT a girl!? I have a different guy coming today wanting her before the other guy comes from down south....I can't guarantee it's a girl...what do you think?????

Pic from last week

 

[Katy]

I don't think there's any validity to it and you risk injuring the chicks by doing it.

If someone wanted to test the sex of my chicks that way I'd suggest we try dangling them first to see if it really works.

 

[speckledhen]

Just ask the folks with coops full of cockerels because of some feed store employee who sexed them by "dangling".

 

[aggie9296]

I'm pretty sure that's an old wives tale. But it will be accurate about 50% of the time.

 

[jenni22776rn]

Quote:

I agree!!

 

[SIMPleChick]

LOL! I Love it!!! I just did it once and it was from the scruff of the neck, not the neck it self....BUT still, yes, I figured as much! I just want my silkie to go to a good home, good thing the people who have called are silkie buffs who want to breed them! But just for that guys "expert advice" I don't think I'll sell it to him!

 

[speckledhen]

Take a brooder full of sex link chicks, all known pullets due to being sex links, then test them by the "dangling" method. I think you'll have your answer.

 

[SIMPleChick]

And so you know...My silkie is not hurt from me being ignorantant and holding it by scruff of neck and it has forgiven me! It will still fall asleep in my lap while I preen it's head and makes the most adorable cooing sounds.

 

[Omani]

I didn't know chicks had scruffs.

 

[silkiechicken]

Looks like a rooster to me. LOL