The Ring/Nail Test Experiment (Just for fun)

[kelseyk]

Edited my above post to add pictures and more info.

 

[kelseyk]

Forgot to mention that the Wheaten Marans should be sexable around day 5.

 

[kelseyk]

Here are my observations....no definite answers yet.

The Svart Honas...1 has a larger comb than the other 2. The other 2 still have pretty small combs. At this point I am thinking maybe a cockerel and 2 pullets. (The test would be 1 out of 3 correct on this set if I am right.)

The Golden Appenzellers...Still waiting for their crests to come in more.

The Delawares...1 is definitely bigger with thicker legs and a bigger comb than the others. Thinking I have 1 cockerel and 1 pullet. (The test would be right on this one if I am right.)

The d'Uccles...The one marked as a female has a bigger comb than the one marked as a male. I think I have 1 male and 1 female though. (The test would be completely wrong on these if I am right.)

The Olive Eggers...still pretty early to tell, but 1 is definitely starting to show more comb than the other 2.

The Wheaten Marans that are supposed to be sexable at 5 days...judging by wing feather color, I think I might have 3 pullets. (If I am right, the test would be 2 out of 3 right.)

 

[kelseyk]

Take back what I said I thought I had on the Delawares and d'Ucckes. I just spent some time looking at them more closely and think I have 2 Delaware cockerels and 2 d'Uccles cockerels.

The Delaware I was pretty sure was a cockerel before:

The other Delaware that I thought was a pullet but now thinking cockerel - it's wattles really grew and it is getting color to the wattles and comb:

My 2 d'Uccles - the 2nd ones comb really took off and has caught up in size to the other one:

 

[kelseyk]

I needed to switch the rubber band leg bands for small zip ties on the Svart Hona (5 1/2 weeks), Golden Appenzeller (5 weeks today), and Delaware (5 weeks tomorrow) today so I went ahead and performed the nail test again. There was a lot of "switching genders"! Some of the Appenzellers are still hard to tell what they are going to be so I will probably test them again in a week just for fun. I think it is safe to say that the nail test IS NOT accurate in the egg or while the chick is young though! I have updated the spreadsheet with notes and highlighted the ones that switched so far.

 

[kelseyk]

Update on the Wheaten Marans....Blue and Green are getting Black feathers on their breasts - more than likely going to be cockerels. Purple is getting straw colored feathers - I think she will be my only pullet.

 

[Knighstar679]

If this lab I used is to be believed all my ducklings from my Aztec hatch are male. But I heard someone trying to quack last night so I am crossing my fingers that this lab made a mistake.

 

[NatJ]

If this lab I used is to be believed all my ducklings from my Aztec hatch are male...crossing my fingers that this lab made a mistake.

I hope you have some females, but I also hope that DNA sexing can be trusted to be accurate--so now I don't know what to hope for!

 

[Knighstar679]

I hope you have some females, but I also hope that DNA sexing can be trusted to be accurate--so now I don't know what to hope for!

Same here. But in this one case I am hoping for it to be wrong on a few. Otherwise I will need to buy mallard females for their breeding.

 

[kelseyk]

If this lab I used is to be believed all my ducklings from my Aztec hatch are male. But I heard someone trying to quack last night so I am crossing my fingers that this lab made a mistake.

I hope the DNA test is wrong on at least 1 for you.