Is this too much stress for a chick?

[alliewill]

We just picked up 2 silkie chicks, one 2 wk old and one 3 wk old, that will be (hopefully) well socialized pets allowed indoor and out.

We are absolutely not allowed to have roosters where we live and were assured these are both sexed as female - although everything I've read says you can't just turn them over, take a glance, and determine that the way the seller did.

So, we are having them DNA sexed through avian biotech. They require either a blood spot from a clipped toenail a bit smaller than a dime or several chest feathers (which these guys obviously don't have yet). My question is - would nicking a toenail and allowing the drop to bleed be too much stress or blood loss for these tiny guys, even with styptic powder on hand to stop bleeding?

We would like to return them ASAP if males rather than wait several weeks and become attached before contacting the seller.

Any personal experience would be great, we don't want to jeopardize these guys.

 

[Overoberyl]

We just picked up 2 silkie chicks, one 2 wk old and one 3 wk old, that will be (hopefully) well socialized pets allowed indoor and out.

We are absolutely not allowed to have roosters where we live and were assured these are both sexed as female - although everything I've read says you can't just turn them over, take a glance, and determine that the way the seller did.

So, we are having them DNA sexed through avian biotech. They require either a blood spot from a clipped toenail a bit smaller than a dime or several chest feathers (which these guys obviously don't have yet). My question is - would nicking a toenail and allowing the drop to bleed be too much stress or blood loss for these tiny guys, even with styptic powder on hand to stop bleeding?

We would like to return them ASAP if males rather than wait several weeks and become attached before contacting the seller.

Any personal experience would be great, we don't want to jeopardize these guys.

It's very likely they would be fine, but a dime-sized spot of blood sounds like sort of a lot for a baby Silkie. I'm not sure exactly how much blood it takes to make a dime sized spot, but if you are going through the expense to have this done (which to me seems a bit ridiculous, no offense), you may as well take the chicks to an avian vet to have the sample drawn. That way at least a veterinarian can determine the risk and do it in a controlled environment.

 

[duckncover]

The way I look at it is avian biotech does these same tests on parakeets and smaller birds and they make it out okay. As far as stress goes. No, they will screech, bleed, you'll stop it, and then they just go on like nothing happened. I clip my parrots nails constantly and every once in a blue moon my bird paco squirms the wrong way and I hit the quick. It's no big deal, just as long as you stop the bleeding immediately.To be honest I would just have someone vent sex them. Take them to an experienced chicken person, they'll know how to do it.