SEXING SEBASTOPOLS.........Help Please!!!

[Shanay235]

These are my two white Seb goslings hatched on 4-15 which I believe are both female. I know the females are supposedly darker than the males at this age but since this is my first hatch of pure whites, I'm not 100% sure what to look for. Anybody with more experience have an opinion?

 

[onthespot]

looks like two girls to me, but I also have limited experienc.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

OK...why not just stick your pinky up their vent, push down the vent sides and see if a penis pokes out??

 

[blueoval1]

I think I heard that was harmful to young waterfowl. And why do that when you can sex sebastapol goslings by color. I think they are both girls but I am not an expert.

 

[Rosecomb-Ryan]

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I heard the same thing that it can be very harmful to young waterfowl........

 

[Feathers Acres]

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Wow, your very straight forward.

 

[Shanay235]

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I'd rather take them to an avian vet or someone else experienced with vent sexing before attempting it myself. I'm too afraid of hurting them.

Plus, if color sexing is fairly accurate, why traumatize the poor little things?

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Sometimes you can get a male with two copies of the X (or is it Z in waterfowl?) and get a false female.

What's so wrong about vent sexing? I'm sorry...but you can't go wrong when something literally shouts to you.

I didn't realize Sebs were color sexing. But, vent sexing is one of the best methods to see if it's male or female. It's honestly not that traumatic? They don't "scream" any more than as if you picked them up normally? Once good at it, you can sex in less than 30 seconds?

Feathers Acres, I'm sure you meant your reply as a "calm it". I'm sorry if speaking straight-forward about the anatomical features of waterfowl or other breeding animals made you shirk away.

 

[Calebs Acre]

They look female to me as well. If you talk to avian vets and read what the authorities saw about vent sexing young, it is widely written that great harm can be done by amateurs doing vent sexing. It is a very delicate procedure that should NOT be done without one on one instruction. You should watch it being done and then have an experienced handler help you when you try on your own.

I agree that vent sexing is the best method of determining the gender, but I think that it is not worth causing harm to the bird to do it until you have proper instruction/experience. It is NOT as simple as poking them in the vent to reveal their genitals, I'm afraid. Just be careful if you choose that route.

 

[banter]

Ashton Waterfowl, the large rare waterfowl farm in Great Britian suggests not to vent sex goslings until 10 weeks old, and then with great care. I tried (very carefully) last year at that age and was unsuccessful. The gosling I was positive was a female turned out to be the biggest male. I think color sexing is more accurate in many instances.