Old Timers - Does this sexing tip work for you?

[dquarles74]

My grandpa has had chickens ever since I can remember. I told him I was going to get some French Black Copper Maran chicks and hoped I got some pullets. He said if you hold them upside down by their toes - roos will hang straight down and not move, but pullets would curl back up and try to upright themselves. He said he's never been wrong sexing them that way. I found two that curled up and will see soon if it was right. But just wondering if that has worked for anyone else or if anyone had ever heard that??? He said it even works with day old chicks.

 

[gg706]

Old Wives Tail. PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS to your baby chicks, you could injure them!

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Likely it would not injure them if you are careful about it.

But it won't work to determine male from female either.

Folks have come up with a dozen (or more) ways to try to sex chicks and none of them work.

There are only a handful of ways that can be shown to work and they all either require specialized training (vent sexing) or the right genetics in the chicks themselves to show certain sex-linked characteristics.