The Ring/Nail Test Experiment (Just for fun)

[Vantic]

You know what is weird...you just said on the HAL that you weren't getting updates for this thread. I refreshed my watched threads page and this thread didn't show up as having an unread post. It wasn't until I checked my notices that I saw you had posted here. I have read a lot of people seem to be having trouble with notices lately.

Yeah, I've heard that too. And seen it, I only get updates from one HAL a day, depending on where I posted last.

 

[kelseyk]

So here is the problem, how do I do this to a three-week-old chick. They are too old to cup and will not stand still long enough for me to get a reading. Going on the idea that I can't hold them without changing the reading.

I have been lucky so far to have chicks that were pretty mellow and didn't move much. I was going to try cutting the middle out of one of those old diaper wipes containers to see if it would hold them, bu haven't gotten around to it just yet.

 

[Vantic]

Well I will give it a go with a table. I have some Barred chicks that I know are boys in the three week olds and tried my hand at sexlinks with the new hatch, so I have two girls and a boy to try.

 

[NatJ]

So here is the problem, how do I do this to a three-week-old chick. They are too old to cup and will not stand still long enough for me to get a reading. Going on the idea that I can't hold them without changing the reading.

Maybe put the chick in a small wire cage or a cat-carrier or a box? Does it affect the reading if there is something (like the top of a box or cage) over the chick?

 

[Knighstar679]

So here is the problem, how do I do this to a three-week-old chick. They are too old to cup and will not stand still long enough for me to get a reading. Going on the idea that I can't hold them without changing the reading.

I used a bucket. I have a small 3 gallon bucket that I use to travel my bantam ducks in. I put them in and then did the nail trick and I found that nothing between the nail and the bird works best.

 

[kelseyk]

Maybe put the chick in a small wire cage or a cat-carrier or a box? Does it affect the reading if there is something (like the top of a box or cage) over the chick?

Good question. I will have to mini experiment it and see what happens.

 

[Vantic]

I used a bucket. I have a small 3 gallon bucket that I use to travel my bantam ducks in. I put them in and then did the nail trick and I found that nothing between the nail and the bird works best.

I have a very large cottage cheese container. I think that might work for the test.

 

[Vantic]

I made the "Sex-o-Matic" today (three pieces of wood, a string, and a nail) to play with @kelseyk idea for sexing eggs/chicks/the wive. My June hatch is on day 13, I did the pin test on each egg and they are still alive after my candling on day 10. The movement was small for each egg, so we retested until it was "clear". Current score, 9 boys and 7 girls. The turner now looks like a Junior High Dance, all the boys on one side and the girls on the other.

I will retest and mark each on lockdown day with a separated hatching tray. The boys will be banded before they are sent home. Time will tell.

 

[kelseyk]

I made the "Sex-o-Matic" today (three pieces of wood, a string, and a nail) to play with @kelseyk idea for sexing eggs/chicks/the wive. My June hatch is on day 13, I did the pin test on each egg and they are still alive after my candling on day 10. The movement was small for each egg, so we retested until it was "clear". Current score, 9 boys and 7 girls. The turner now looks like a Junior High Dance, all the boys on one side and the girls on the other.

I will retest and mark each on lockdown day with a separated hatching tray. The boys will be banded before they are sent home. Time will tell.

Love the Jr High dance floor analogy!

 

[kelseyk]

Been busy and haven't been on much lately. The spreadsheet is updated - everyone is still testing the same. I added a hatch of Wheaten Marans to the spreadsheet. I had hatched them for a friend but we had a bad hatch and only ended up with 3 and they wanted more than that. So I get to keep the Wheaten Marans and try again with eggs from a different source. The chicks were definitely harder to test this time around, but my older chick testing container worked out really well....on the bigger chicks anyway. My d'Uccles were way too small for my box but could hop out of the cup, so they ended up just standing in the sink. Some of the chicks are starting to show signs of what they may be.

My older chick testing container. I did try to test though the plastic - it did not work. Most of the chicks just huddled down and I was able to hold the nail through the hole. Some chicks would pop their head in and out and were a bit trickier to test.

My Blue Banded Svart Hona - 7 weeks today - thinking a male by how much the comb has grown - egg tested male/weekly tested male.

My Green banded Delaware - 3 weeks 3 days today - thinking a male by how much the comb has grown - egg tested male/weekly tested male.