INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[julie0477]

My thoughts are turning to sexing the recently hatched RIR chicks.  We live 6 miles from downtown Indy, and unfortunately, roosters are not welcomed in our subdivision. 

I've heard of vent sexing, but in researching how to vent sex, it seems I missed the chance to sex the chicks as day olds...after learning about vent sexing, I'm not sure I'd have been successful anyway.  I also learned about feather sexing, but it seems I've missed the chance to feather sex as day olds, too.

I found some seemingly reliable info on sexing 4 week olds.  They are 2 weeks old now, so I can try that out in a couple of weeks.

One BYC person posted that [COLOR=0000FF]RIR females will have a small black stripe going down their heads[/COLOR][COLOR=333333].  If that's reliable info, that would be useful.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]I also found a BYC post that suggested this:[/COLOR] [COLOR=0000FF]Tie a ring on a string and hold it just above the chick, very close to it's body but not touching. The ring will swing in a straight line back and forth for males and in a circle for[/COLOR] [COLOR=333333]females.  Really?  This sounds like crazy talk.  Does it have to be a full moon out, too?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]Any reasonable tidbits on sexing suggestions for 2 week old RIR?[/COLOR]

lol definitely sounds like crazy talk. I'm no expert but comb and wattle size/growth at that age might tell you something....

 

[kkelsh14]

Hey there everyone! Very excited to find a Hoosier BYC thread! I wish I had found this thread sooner. I have 11 hens (Black Stars, Jersey Giants, RIRs and an Ameraucana) and 18 Speckled Sussex eggs in the incubator, on day 2. In the Terre Haute area, haven't looked to see if there is anyone else from my town.

 

[toodlesmom]

My thoughts are turning to sexing the recently hatched RIR chicks. We live 6 miles from downtown Indy, and unfortunately, roosters are not welcomed in our subdivision.

I've heard of vent sexing, but in researching how to vent sex, it seems I missed the chance to sex the chicks as day olds...after learning about vent sexing, I'm not sure I'd have been successful anyway. I also learned about feather sexing, but it seems I've missed the chance to feather sex as day olds, too.

I found some seemingly reliable info on sexing 4 week olds. They are 2 weeks old now, so I can try that out in a couple of weeks.

One BYC person posted that RIR females will have a small black stripe going down their heads. If that's reliable info, that would be useful.

I also found a BYC post that suggested this: Tie a ring on a string and hold it just above the chick, very close to it's body but not touching. The ring will swing in a straight line back and forth for males and in a circle for females. Really? This sounds like crazy talk. Does it have to be a full moon out, too?

Any reasonable tidbits on sexing suggestions for 2 week old RIR?

That ring on a string business was popular thirty-four years ago when I was pregnant with son #1. Supposedly you could hold it over the pregnant belly and learn the gender of your child. It was big entertainment at baby showers back in those dark ages. It wasn't any more reliable with babies than it is with chickens.

 

[pginsber]

So I've been talking with a buyer of my quail eggs and what he was going to do with them. Come to find out he does falconry! I may have found a new hobby! Raptors have always interested me and I've looked in the past the requirements of owning them. Now I've spent all morning reading more about the sport.
I've had hawk attacks happen while I was out with the birds as well. Thankfully they didn't get any those times, but they are my main predators here.

Dare we ask what the guy does with the quail eggs in his falconry?
Falconry sounds interesting. Are specific birds used for different falcon activities?

 

[bradselig]

Dare we ask what the guy does with the quail eggs in his falconry?
Falconry sounds interesting.  Are specific birds used for different falcon activities?

He will be incubating and raising the quail to feed and train the falcons/hawks. There is a lot of steps and permits required to be a falconer. For the first two years you can only have one raptor and it has to be one of the 2 species, Redtailed Hawk or an American Kestrel. You also have to have a sponsor that will help teach you. It seems like a very interesting sport.

 

[racinchickins]

My thoughts are turning to sexing the recently hatched RIR chicks. We live 6 miles from downtown Indy, and unfortunately, roosters are not welcomed in our subdivision.

I've heard of vent sexing, but in researching how to vent sex, it seems I missed the chance to sex the chicks as day olds...after learning about vent sexing, I'm not sure I'd have been successful anyway. I also learned about feather sexing, but it seems I've missed the chance to feather sex as day olds, too.

I found some seemingly reliable info on sexing 4 week olds. They are 2 weeks old now, so I can try that out in a couple of weeks.

One BYC person posted that RIR females will have a small black stripe going down their heads. If that's reliable info, that would be useful.

I also found a BYC post that suggested this: Tie a ring on a string and hold it just above the chick, very close to it's body but not touching. The ring will swing in a straight line back and forth for males and in a circle for females. Really? This sounds like crazy talk. Does it have to be a full moon out, too?

Any reasonable tidbits on sexing suggestions for 2 week old RIR?

One of the members on the Turkey 2013 thread has done some researching on sexing turkeys. She said that what she found works for chickens too. I did some searching, but couldn't find it, but here is what I can remember: Please take this as unproven, both in other people testing her hypothesis and my memory of exactly what she said......

Take the chick/poult and turn it on its back in your hand. If it hold both legs close to its body, its a girl. If it tends to stick one or both legs out, its a male. Something to do with how a female will assume a more defensive posture and a male will be more assertive. She said it has proved very accurate for her.

I did this with my two newest chicks, and they both showed female. It will be a while yet before I have confirmation one way or another, but I thought it was worth a try. I plan to try this on everything I hatch this spring and see how I end up. I haven't hatched any more autosexing CCLs since she posted this, but if anyone has any right now, it would be a quick way to see if it is reliable.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

My thoughts are turning to sexing the recently hatched RIR chicks. We live 6 miles from downtown Indy, and unfortunately, roosters are not welcomed in our subdivision.

I've heard of vent sexing, but in researching how to vent sex, it seems I missed the chance to sex the chicks as day olds...after learning about vent sexing, I'm not sure I'd have been successful anyway. I also learned about feather sexing, but it seems I've missed the chance to feather sex as day olds, too.

I found some seemingly reliable info on sexing 4 week olds. They are 2 weeks old now, so I can try that out in a couple of weeks.

One BYC person posted that RIR females will have a small black stripe going down their heads. If that's reliable info, that would be useful.

I also found a BYC post that suggested this: Tie a ring on a string and hold it just above the chick, very close to it's body but not touching. The ring will swing in a straight line back and forth for males and in a circle for females. Really? This sounds like crazy talk. Does it have to be a full moon out, too?

Any reasonable tidbits on sexing suggestions for 2 week old RIR?

if they are heritage then at 4 -6 weeks the combs will be drastically different. I have not had a boy chick of the production breed so I can't help you there.

 

[julie0477]

That ring on a string business was popular thirty-four years ago when I was pregnant with son #1. Supposedly you could hold it over the pregnant belly and learn the gender of your child. It was big entertainment at baby showers back in those dark ages. It wasn't any more reliable with babies than it is with chickens.

Heck I remember that from when I had my kids. I never tried it though. I did do the 'draino test' during my first pregnancy about ten years ago. I can't remember if it came out right but I remember the smell was horrible. lol Pretty sure that one won't work with chickens

Sally - that stinks! I'm sorry. I had high hopes for that little girl.

My new pekin ducks are doing great. They had been someones pet ducks at some point - sleeping in the house, etc., so they are much tamer than the two I had originally. My kids love them, and the female has laid an egg every day since I got them. I'm so tempted to try to incubate but I know I'll end up with a bunch of baby boys!

 

[pginsber]

He will be incubating and raising the quail to feed and train the falcons/hawks. There is a lot of steps and permits required to be a falconer. For the first two years you can only have one raptor and it has to be one of the 2 species, Redtailed Hawk or an American Kestrel. You also have to have a sponsor that will help teach you. It seems like a very interesting sport.

That's very interesting. It's reassurring to know that this animal sport is rigidly controlled. Seems like it would make for a higher standard of care for the birds. There are both of these hawks in my neighborhood, but I see the Kestrels much less frequently.
I don't suppose they're carrying hawk hatching eggs at Foy's or any place common. You would probably be very good at this.
At the Indiana state fair this year there was a really interesting talk about birds with several hawks and owls. I think it was designed for 10-year olds, but I enjoyed it.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

juile0477- glad there all doing good! I could tell the genders of mine ariund 7 weeks. No mine havent started laying.Their combs arent even slightley red. ^7 chickens and 2 eggs a day!