Russian Orloffs

[mississippifarmboy]

Quote: It's as much an art as a science I think Marcy. It really is simple with most fowl once you learn how, but can be messy and yes, you can kill or injure a chick very easy if you don't know what you are doing. I myself was lucky enough to be shown how to vent sex 20 - 25 years ago by a professional sexer for one of the largest hatcheries in the country. I worked in the exotic animal biz for years and one of my sideline jobs was sexing critters to make a little extra pocket money. I'd be happy to show you how if you were closer.

As I have told everyone I have ever shown how to vent sex; I can sell you a cockerel and I'll guarantee my sexing 100%. In all these years I've never been wrong to my knowledge. If it "pops" and you see the worm.... It's a male. !00%, no doubt about it. Period.

If it doesn't "pop" and no worm.... it's most likely a female. But I would never guarantee it. Occasionally you get a male that is just not going to pop at that age, is built different or is just not developed enough. I guess I run around 80% accurate on sexing female day old chicks, around 95% by a month or so old and near 100% by two months. The trick is, after they are a few weeks old you run the risk of them prolapsing and you will ruin a good bird. So it's best to either sex them very young or wait until they are grown.

My eyes are shot too. I sexed all our baby ducks yesterday. The runners, muscovies and such were easy. Once I got to the silkies and calls I had to have my glasses and still couldn't see worth a darn. Plus my hands cramped and hurt and my legs went to sleep sitting stooped over.

I hate getting older.


I swear, if I knew I was going to live this darn long I would have taken better care of myself.

 

[NCSprout]

At this point for me, I don't even worry about sexing the Orloffs. I will cull for obvious faults, but other than that I grow them out. I know I'm still spending the money to feed them, but I figure it gives me the chance to learn my birds and their makeup. Once they've matured, then I can decide on breeders and culls. The males I don't want to breed become food and the female culls stay in the laying flock if they are productive layers. I don't mind hanging onto a few broody Orloffs either, helps cut down on human error and they have proven to be good mother hens. As the down to adult feather relationship becomes clearer, then I may be able to cull early, but that seems to be a bit further down the road and I may chose to just keep a few to insure a bit of diversity instead of narrow the line even more.

 

[desertmarcy]

It's as much an art as a science I think Marcy. It really is simple with most fowl once you learn how, but can be messy and yes, you can kill or injure a chick very easy if you don't know what you are doing. I myself was lucky enough to be shown how to vent sex 20 - 25 years ago by a professional sexer for one of the largest hatcheries in the country. I worked in the exotic animal biz for years and one of my sideline jobs was sexing critters to make a little extra pocket money. I'd be happy to show you how if you were closer.

As I have told everyone I have ever shown how to vent sex; I can sell you a cockerel and I'll guarantee my sexing 100%. In all these years I've never been wrong to my knowledge. If it "pops" and you see the worm.... It's a male. !00%, no doubt about it. Period.

If it doesn't "pop" and no worm.... it's most likely a female. But I would never guarantee it. Occasionally you get a male that is just not going to pop at that age, is built different or is just not developed enough. I guess I run around 80% accurate on sexing female day old chicks, around 95% by a month or so old and near 100% by two months. The trick is, after they are a few weeks old you run the risk of them prolapsing and you will ruin a good bird. So it's best to either sex them very young or wait until they are grown.

My eyes are shot too. I sexed all our baby ducks yesterday. The runners, muscovies and such were easy. Once I got to the silkies and calls I had to have my glasses and still couldn't see worth a darn. Plus my hands cramped and hurt and my legs went to sleep sitting stooped over.

I hate getting older.


I swear, if I knew I was going to live this darn long I would have taken better care of myself.

Yes, getting old is not for sissies. I used to raise snakes for years and was really good at sexing newly hatched ratsnakes, so I know what you mean about the "pop", but with baby chicks, I think I just don't know where to apply pressure and how hard to apply it.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Yes, getting old is not for sissies. I used to raise snakes for years and was really good at sexing newly hatched ratsnakes, so I know what you mean about the "pop", but with baby chicks, I think I just don't know where to apply pressure and how hard to apply it.

See, you got me beat on snakes... I just used a probe on them.

I'm terrified of snakes, but raised everything from Ringnecks and Hognose all the way up to Burmese and Indian Rocks, Green Anacondas.... {shudder}

I think the trick with chicks is holding the tail at the right angle... it is for me anyway.

Pulled out a full coop of Orloffs yesterday I'm going to cull.... Em just told me earlier they are all sold. At least people are showing an interest in the breed.

 

[desertmarcy]

See, you got me beat on snakes... I just used a probe on them.

I'm terrified of snakes, but raised everything from Ringnecks and Hognose all the way up to Burmese and Indian Rocks, Green Anacondas.... {shudder}

I think the trick with chicks is holding the tail at the right angle... it is for me anyway.

Pulled out a full coop of Orloffs yesterday I'm going to cull.... Em just told me earlier they are all sold. At least people are showing an interest in the breed.

Is there any way you can describe that angle of the tail? Terrified of snakes, but you raised them

? Now that is unusual. I kept the big ones, too. Used to feed them adult chickens that people didn't want. I learned the hard way, always cut the spurs off the cocks before the snake eats them. I had one very healthy python die shortly after ingesting one with spurs, and I can only assume some vital got perforated

Yeah, green anacondas are just a BIG nasty watersnake!

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Quote:
I can't describe it really, but I just asked Em if she could do a close up video with her phone and she said she could. (She's the tech wiz, I can barely answer a cell phone.) Anyway, I'll try and post a video on a new thread tomorrow.

As far as the snakes... Yes, I'm terrified of them. But I'm sorta fond of cash. A large Burmese female; feed a couple of cull chickens once a month, clean the enclosure once a month, anywhere from 30 to 60 eggs once a year, no fuss or mess and I sell each baby snake for $100 or so after I get it to eat a pinky a couple of times? I am a man... I can face my fears...




for 6 grand a year.

Too bad the bottom fell out before I got rich.

 

[ashandvine]

This might sound silly but I appreciate that Mississippi says he eats his birds. There are a lot of folks in the other threads who ... aren't saying that and some who never eat their birds. Makes sense if they have bantams, but... they ARE chickens.

 

[desertmarcy]

This might sound silly but I appreciate that Mississippi says he eats his birds. There are a lot of folks in the other threads who ... aren't saying that and some who never eat their birds. Makes sense if they have bantams, but... they ARE chickens.

We eat our birds. In fact, our freezers are full right now of chickens. If you are breeding conscientiously and trying to improve a breed, you have to cull. What are you going to do with all those culled cockerels if you don't eat them? Give them away so someone else can eat them? Not with my feed bill I won't

 

[NCSprout]

Definitely agree with that. I've even started grinding and canning some for dog and cat food, helps cut into another expense, saves a bit of freezer space, too. One of the reasons I chose Orloffs is their meat potential. I think they lay enough to be considered dual purpose, but they aren't my primary egg chicken.

 

[happyhens120]

I have yet to raise any up to adult size, but when I begin I will also be canning/freezing mine. I'm not sure if it's been the ages of the other birds I've culled or perhaps the breeds, but I just haven't developed a taste for the meat I've raised. Maybe I'm not preparing it right? I do plan on culling some older hens and I've heard that canning the meat makes them super tender.