Texas

[Little Wing]

number 2

That's a cute one! Are they hard to sex?

 

[yinepu]

Quote:
people claim you can sex them by the patterns on the top of their heads.. i pretty much proved that false last year (link in my signature)
you CAN vent sex them.. but for the babies it's iffy.. some of the chicks sex male.. some sex female.. then you have the ones that you just can't tell for sure. So the only reliable ways are to either wait until they are adults and go through breeding.. vent sex the adults.. or have them DNA tested (feather shaft or egg membrane).

I vent sex the babies plus go with DNA testing on egg membrane samples sent into a lab..

 

[Little Wing]

people claim you can sex them by the patterns on the top of their heads.. i pretty much proved that false last year (link in my signature)
you CAN vent sex them.. but for the babies it's iffy.. some of the chicks sex male.. some sex female.. then you have the ones that you just can't tell for sure. So the only reliable ways are to either wait until they are adults and go through breeding.. vent sex the adults.. or have them DNA tested (feather shaft or egg membrane).

I vent sex the babies plus go with DNA testing on egg membrane samples sent into a lab..

So you can't tell even when they are grown?

 

[Little Wing]

So you can't tell even when they are grown?

Just read your post on sexing Emus.

 

[yinepu]

Quote:
not until they go into "breeding mode"

I have a suspicion though that their "hairstyles" may give a clue.. Dorian and Paco are the two oldest males.. both have a poofy type hairdo on top of their heads.. where Rose (same age as the two boys) has a "flat top"
Only one pother person has chimed in with info on their emu and it seems to hold true for theirs too.. now not sure if it is just something from that particular line of birds.. or if it's just a coincidence.. I suppose time will tell

Paco and Dorian:

Rose:


the adults in breeding mode will make different "calls".. females will "boom".. males "grunt".. and it's the male who sits the nest and tends to the chicks.. the female wanders off to find a new boyfriend

there have been reports of "males" that also made a boom sound.. but I have to wonder if they just mistook the grunt for a quieter boom..

 

[yinepu]

Quote:
I wish I could have saved the vent sexing pics and gotten them posted before the old hard drive died... so i am going to attempt taking pics of these guys when I vent sex them.. only problem will be trying to hold them.. vent sex and take pics by myself since my husband is deployed.

 

[Little Wing]

not until they go into "breeding mode"

I have a suspicion though that their "hairstyles" may give a clue.. Dorian and Paco are the two oldest males.. both have a poofy type hairdo on top of their heads.. where Rose (same age as the two boys) has a "flat top"
Only one pother person has chimed in with info on their emu and it seems to hold true for theirs too.. now not sure if it is just something from that particular line of birds.. or if it's just a coincidence.. I suppose time will tell

Paco and Dorian:

Rose:


the adults in breeding mode will make different "calls".. females will "boom".. males "grunt".. and it's the male who sits the nest and tends to the chicks.. the female wanders off to find a new boyfriend

there have been reports of "males" that also made a boom sound.. but I have to wonder if they just mistook the grunt for a quieter boom..

I'm sorry. Those things scare me! I am 6' 2" and I would freak out with a 7' chicken looking down at me. Those two males look like they want to peck you right on top of the head. I guess if I raised em from chicks it would be different.

 

[Boydfarm1]

Hi all, new Texan just joining. I live in Liberty Hill, about 25 minutes out of Austin, sorry I measure by minutes, not miles

It's nice to meet all of you, I've just been a browser for awhile, looking forward to getting to know everyone and getting some great ideas.

 

[yinepu]

I'm sorry. Those things scare me! I am 6' 2" and I would freak out with a 7' chicken looking down at me. Those two males look like they want to peck you right on top of the head. I guess if I raised em from chicks it would be different.

they only get to be 5 to 6 feet tall.. and those two evil boys are the biggest snuggle puppies you would ever meet.. they put my dogs and geese to shame!.. both of them LOVE hugs.. and will put their heads on my shoulder and fall asleep while they are getting petted.

of all the ratites . emus are the friendliest. an adult male ostrich has no problems with attacking and even killing a person.. cassowary are even worse.

lol... 7 foot chicken.. try 6 foot dinosaur instead!

 

[barngodess]

Hi all, new Texan just joining. I live in Liberty Hill, about 25 minutes out of Austin, sorry I measure by minutes, not miles It's nice to meet all of you, I've just been a browser for awhile, looking forward to getting to know everyone and getting some great ideas.