The Ring/Nail Test Experiment (Just for fun)

[Knighstar679]

I just had 12 ducklings hatch over the last week or so. I did the nail trick on them. I also vent sexed a few. If I did it right the 6 I vent sexed matched up to the nail trick so far.

1- Aztec R Pink (F)
2- Aztec R Purple (f)
3- Aztec R Blue (m)
4- Aztec R Green (f)
5- Aztec R Orange (f) vent sexed Female
6- Aztec R Yellow (f) vent sexed Female
7- Aztec L Blue (m)
8- Aztec L Purple (f) vent sexed female
9- Aztec L Green (f) vent sexed female
10- Aztec L pink (m)
11- Aztec R Black (m) vent sexed male
12- Black East Indi R Orange (f) vent sexed female

i am not very good at vent sexing yet. So it’s not a certain check. I did send away for dna sexing so I should know for sure sexes in a few weeks, instead of six to eight weeks.

 

[Trisseh]

For fun I jumped in on this with a brad nail too. I have 3 ducklings, hatched Wednesday/Thursday that all vent sexed as male, and my nail circles. I have 2 sebright chicks I hatched yesterday and the nail goes in a straight line from head to tail. So crossing my fingers those are both pullets, as I already have a lovely little sebright cockerel! Time to go nail test my 6 week old duckling that I vent sexed as female.

 

[Trisseh]

And my older birds?

2x 1 year old ducks, I know they’re both female, lol, and they have a straight line with the nail. So does my vent sexed female duckling. The chicks, I have 3 known cockerels, they all circle, the painted silkie I wasn’t sure about also circles, and the EE that I have no clue on is a straight line. So hoping that’s right and I do have at least one pullet from that group...

 

[kelseyk]

And my older birds?

2x 1 year old ducks, I know they’re both female, lol, and they have a straight line with the nail. So does my vent sexed female duckling. The chicks, I have 3 known cockerels, they all circle, the painted silkie I wasn’t sure about also circles, and the EE that I have no clue on is a straight line. So hoping that’s right and I do have at least one pullet from that group...

So exciting to hear that all of your known sex poultry checked out correct with the test! Hopefully it is right on your EE! I totally know the feeling of wanting a pullet in a group! I hatched some eggs from my own flock and was hoping to sell pullets from the group, but even at 6 weeks old 8 of the 9 are not really giving me any hints to what they are. The nail test is predicting them 7 cockerels and 2 pullets. I might have chicken in the freezer I guess.

 

[Trisseh]

@kelseyk part of the fun of hatching I guess. Haha you learn to live with the disappointment. xD nothing wrong with stocking the freezer though. it’s just annoying that both of my silkies are cockerels... not great eating on those guys. Lol.
I have a bunch more eggs in the incubators so I’ll play around with them when it’s candling time again. This is a fun experiment.

 

[kelseyk]

@kelseyk part of the fun of hatching I guess. Haha you learn to live with the disappointment. xD nothing wrong with stocking the freezer though. it’s just annoying that both of my silkies are cockerels... not great eating on those guys. Lol.
I have a bunch more eggs in the incubators so I’ll play around with them when it’s candling time again. This is a fun experiment.

Totally agree on the eating silkies part! LOL! My daughter chose silkies and Svart Honas as the birds she wanted to show for 4-H. Nail test has her 5 April silkies as 3 cockerels (both of the light lavender ones and a white one) and 2 pullets (the dark lavender/blue one and a white one). And all 3 of her May Svart Honas as cockerels. I'm sure my son's 4-H d'uccles wouldn't make much of a meal either. Lol!

 

[Trisseh]

Totally agree on the eating silkies part! LOL! My daughter chose silkies and Svart Honas as the birds she wanted to show for 4-H. Nail test has her 5 April silkies as 3 cockerels (both of the light lavender ones and a white one) and 2 pullets (the dark lavender/blue one and a white one). And all 3 of her May Svart Honas as cockerels. I'm sure my son's 4-H d'uccles wouldn't make much of a meal either. Lol!

I guess you could make a decent sized pot of stew or soup with a bunch of them, anyways. Haha. And then of course my brain starts going “how would one even pluck a silkie properly? There’s just so much fluff...”

 

[Vantic]

Everyone ignore this, I'm just trying to get the forum to send me update notices again...

 

[Vantic]

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.

 

[kelseyk]

Everyone ignore this, I'm just trying to get the forum to send me update notices again...

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.