Why are bantams sold in straight run only?

[ScoobyRoo]

I am getting my list together and we want bantam pullets. No particular breed. Just banties as my daughter and I fell in love with our little roo we bought at a feed store last spring. Looking in some catalogs they sell straight run only. Why is that? Is it because they are such little chicks that they fear they may hurt them trying to sex them? Does any other hatchery sell pullet banties? I'm guessing that I may just end up buying a dozen or so from the feed store this spring rather than spend the extra $ on shipping and handling. And I can get just a few rather than the minimum.

 

[bubblebean11]

The reason is because they are so small, and run the risk of being injured in the sexing process.

 

[ScoobyRoo]

That is what I thought. I just called my feed store and they said they will be ordering banties this year. So I'm good with that.

 

[lceh]

You can get sexed bantams from My Pet Chicken, but to my knowledge that's the only place you can buy them sexed. (You pay for it, too!)

 

[briteday]

And there are plenty of posts on here every year about the "sexed" banty outcomes...

 

[Green Ridge MO]

Could you not feather sex?

 

[heritagebirds]

I would imagine that is it REALLY hard to do that on a banty

 

[Bantimna]

Quote:
You can only do that with Sex-links

 

[saddina]

I've vent sexed my quails and gotten 95% accuracy (one was an iffy, turned out a male). So if I can do 19/20 right on quails, I'm going to suggest that it's not in thier interests to sex banties.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Quote:
You can only do that with Sex-links

was going to say the same thing.
It's just no feasible to sex bantams, isn't near impossible, and accuracy is really just a 50-50 guess. most hatchery large fowl have certain marker that are much easier to distinguish the sex by, everything's just too tiny on bantams