Telling Gender by Feathering?

[lutz123]

Newbie reply warning...so take it with a grain of salt!

Did you watch this?

I asked a similar question yesterday and someone posted the link. The sexing is a hair after the 3 minute mark, but honestly, if you haven't seen the video it's really worth a watch. I had no idea the whole "chick" process could be so automated!! If this is accurate, I have 3 boys and a girl of the chicks I had still young enough to use this method.

By the way, I was dumb enough to try to mark which ones I though were male now so I could see if it held true. I used a black sharpie to make a mark on a toenail, which, of course, got pecked immediately. Hopefully they will lose interest, otherwise I will be removing permanent marker!

 

[koakritters]

with my first 2 i hatched, they were the first ones form my own hens and i figured out that my roo is a mix of GLW and something. He doesn't look it, but his son is definitely part GLW. These ones were bought because i was bored, and needed to test my incubator after messing with the temp. problems. obviously i fixed it since i went fomr 2/14 hatching to 14/15 hatching!!

i've also got what looks to be a purebred favorelle rooster in there and maybe a couple purebred marans.

 

[crazygoatlady915]

Generally, females do feather faster than males. But the easiest feather sexing is in Sex Links!

 

[WalkerH]

Quote:
Essentially. They kept jumping up and kicking it over, so I took a chunk of 2x4 that was left over from the coop and stuck it in there to add weight, which seemed to work. And my waterer fit almost perfectly, it should sit evenly if the 2x4 is even. The lip on the folgers can keeps it from falling out too.

 

[Susie"J"]

FLF I saw that Folgers bottom also, great idea. WalkerH Do you weigh it down with water or sand in the bottom?
Must have been posting at the same time, Thanks

 

[WalkerH]

Yeah I put a 2x4 and add sand around it. Or I did. Make sure you just take the waterer out when you change it, made the mistake once and flipped the can over. The sand didn't tumble out but I have an issue with the gritty feel of sand it just felt dirty after that. The waterer is easy enough to take out.

 

[miraclz5]

Now that I have been fully traumatized by that youtube video clip, I don't know if I could ever buy chicks from a large hatchery like that....that looks like cruel and unusual treatment of young animals and I don't know if they could say no chicks were harmed or killed in the making of this video!