Old Wives Tales on Sexing day old chicks - Kid's Science project - help w/ more myths?

[GardeNerd]

Hi,

My daughter wanted an excuse to get baby chicks and lots of them. She came up with the idea for a science project to test out a bunch of the old wives tales on sexing the chicks at day old. We raise bantams, so we would not know the gender anyway. Well, the chicks are here, but her list of wives tales is pretty short. I won't let her test anything that could injure the chick, but she could list any or all myths in the research part of the report. If it helps, she is raising bantam cochins.

She is going to make a note of each chick, test each of the myths, and then raise them to 8 weeks old, when we can really tell the genders better. I will report back at the end, if any of the myths were more accurate than others.

Please help add to the list of wives tales on sexing chicks. Do you know of any myths or theories on picking out pullet chicks at the feed store from a straight run bin?

Thanks!

 

[Tressa27884]

I was told that if you pick them up and they pull up their legs they're pullets, if they throw their legs straight down they're cockerels. My experience is that it's right about 50% of the time....
I can't wait to see all the other myths you get.

 

[kellieg1]

I was told that if you pick them up and they pull up their legs they're pullets, if they throw their legs straight down they're cockerels. My experience is that it's right about 50% of the time....
I can't wait to see all the other myths you get.

When I first read this I thought it said "when you pick them up and 'pull on their legs' they are pullets!

Sorry I'm new to chickens so I don't have any old wife's tales.

 

[conny63malies]

Needle and Thread - dangle the needle over your chick ... if it moves around and around it is a female, if it swings back and forth it is male - this is supposed to work for both chicks and eggs

eggs that eventually hatch into pullets are more oval than the pointy eggs that eventually hatch out as cockerels

 

[Fred's Hens]

I don't know, but I do know that even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

 

[bayvistafarm]

I don't know, but I do know that even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

 

[Chemguy]

There are a few in this thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/36320/how-to-sex-a-chicken-wisdom-from-an-old-timer

ETA: So, they're teaching chicken math in schools now?

 

[Syharrison]

when i hold my males by their legs they life their heads to see whats going on, the females seem to drop the heads as if they dont care i dont know how accurate this is, only tested 4 chicks lol

 

[Egghead_Jr]

when i hold my males by their legs they life their heads to see whats going on, the females seem to drop the heads as if they dont care i dont know how accurate this is, only tested 4 chicks lol

This is similar to waving your hat over the brooder; those that squat down are pullets, those standing alert are cockerels.

 

[yomama]

when i hold my males by their legs they life their heads to see whats going on, the females seem to drop the heads as if they dont care i dont know how accurate this is, only tested 4 chicks lol

How did your results turn out? I actually heard a guy at the feed store say this to some of the other employees. I glanced over at them when he was saying that and caught the eye of another employee. Not sure if she believed him or not, but it was all I could do not to burst out laughing! It's one thing to try it at home, just to see if it works, but to have store employees talk of it as if it were a proven fact, is another. If there is some truth to it, then I apologize, but I'm guessing you could flip a coin and have the same odds.