Simple Sexing.

[LilFox]

So I went and picked up 9 pullets the other day. While there I saw beautiful baby Americanas (sp?). The girl asked me if I wanted anything else. I told her no because I didn’t want anymore straight run chicks because I already have wayyy too many roosters, lol.

This girl says,”I know how to tell the roosters from the pullets”. Naturally I had to see for myself. I said I want two Americana pullets. She says the way to tell is to hang them by their feet. The roosters will fight. Pullets go limp.

The first 3 chicks went nuts, the 4th one went completely limp. I took “her” and the 8th chick that also relaxed and wasn’t fighting to get back up.

Has anyone ever heard of this?I find it hard to believe it could be so simple. She has a 50/50 shot of being right so I may have just been horn swaggled into buying two more roosters

 

[cstephens1987]

It's an old wives tale and is right half the time as you stated. Also the real breed is spelled Ameraucana and what you likely have is an Easter Egger (often labeled misleadingly as "Americana" to trick unknowing customers).

 

[LilFox]

It's an old wives tale and is right half the time as you stated. Also the real breed is spelled Ameraucana and what you likely have is an Easter Egger (often labeled misleadingly as "Americana" to trick unknowing customers).

You’re exactly right. That’s why I wanted a couple, for the blue-ish eggs. Hopefully I got lucky!

 

[ChocolateMouse]

csteph has it right on all accounts. Actually someone on here did a test of wives tale sexing methods recently. You can check it out. Some are more accurate than others.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/an-experiment-in-chick-sexing-methods.72520/

 

[sylviethecochin]

A man at the auction the other night told me that "you can tell male from female chicks by their headspots." I asked him if he meant barring (trying to get a handle on how much this guy knew, because he was selling some "sexed chicks" I wanted. I don't need males). He said no, and told me to look up black sexlinks. He then informed me that this headspot could be used to sex all chicks. I was trying to figure out what he was talking about, and asked him if he meant all chicks whose mothers had barring.

He acted like I was a bit slow for asking this twice, and proceeded to inform me that he meant all chicks, and no, it did not have anything to do with barring. He again told me to look up black sexlinks. I said yeah, that's sexlinked barring. It only works if the mother chicken is barred. He decided to discontinue the conversation.

(I'm in my twenties, but can pass for sixteen pretty easily. This guy was in his fifties. I've learned the hard way at several workplaces that some people take that as a license to be condescending, but wow.)

And the worst part is, he raises multiple species of birds, including guineas and peacocks, and he's been raising chickens for years longer than I have.

 

[LilFox]

csteph has it right on all accounts. Actually someone on here did a test of wives tale sexing methods recently. You can check it out. Some are more accurate than others.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/an-experiment-in-chick-sexing-methods.72520/

Thank you for the link! That sounds really interesting. Can’t wait to read it.

 

[LilFox]

A man at the auction the other night told me that "you can tell male from female chicks by their headspots." I asked him if he meant barring (trying to get a handle on how much this guy knew, because he was selling some "sexed chicks" I wanted. I don't need males). He said no, and told me to look up black sexlinks. He then informed me that this headspot could be used to sex all chicks. I was trying to figure out what he was talking about, and asked him if he meant all chicks whose mothers had barring.

He acted like I was a bit slow for asking this twice, and proceeded to inform me that he meant all chicks, and no, it did not have anything to do with barring. He again told me to look up black sexlinks. I said yeah, that's sexlinked barring. It only works if the mother chicken is barred. He decided to discontinue the conversation.

(I'm in my twenties, but can pass for sixteen pretty easily. This guy was in his fifties. I've learned the hard way at several workplaces that some people take that as a license to be condescending, but wow.)

And the worst part is, he raises multiple species of birds, including guineas and peacocks, and he's been raising chickens for years longer than I have.

Wow!

 

[HuffleClaw]

That is one of THE most inaccurate ways to sex chicks.

 

[sylviethecochin]

That is one of THE most inaccurate ways to sex chicks.

Hey! It's 50% accurate; what more do you want?

 

[HuffleClaw]

Hey! It's 50% accurate; what more do you want?