I think that in almost all my chicks the primary feathers come in faster in the pullets than in the cockerels. Has anyone else noticed this?
Actually what I notice is that some chicks get their primaries quickly and some slowly and in the ones that have other physical characteristics that indicate sex (head spots/ down color etc.) the fast growing primaries are seen in the pullets and the slow in cockerels.
I know strains have been developed to take advantage of this--but they say that you need to work with these specially developed strains to see the difference. I think I'm seeing it more widely than that. I would like to hear anyone else's experiences. Here is a university slide series showing how to feather sex in a feather-sexable strain. http://animalsciences.missouri.edu/reprod/ReproTech/Feathersex/index.htm
This message was edited Jun 20, 2008 5:01 PM
Feather sexing slide show.
And my two favorite chick sexing sites:
One for sex-linked: http://www.users.on.net/~greggles/sexing.html
And one for the rest: http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/sexingchicks.html
Thanks for the slide show Catscan. My DS and I saw it last night.....then later I saw him in the chick pens 'sexing' ALL the chicks depending upon the length of the primary and covert feathers. I was trying to explain to him that this was really only effective on certain breeds....do you know what they are by any chance?
I also went to the other 2 links and looked for a minute........and it left me scratching my head for a bit. So much info to absorb and so many different things to look for on sexing chicks. I have to admit though, after reading it all and seeing the charts I caught myself looking at my new chicks in a totally different way! I found myself laughing at it. 'ok, your legs are thick and your legs are skinny, but wait....those are two different breeds....ok, now are you kind a squaty or are you standing tall?' I also found my self thinking about who would act in a certain way if they were suddenly startled.
I told my DS that when I learned more about it, we would have to use some blue and pink let band or something to put them on the chicks as we were trying to sex them by different features and see how we come out.
After I saw the video I was more interested and intrigued by the sexing of chicks......thank you for these links!
Christy
one way to find out which are sexable.... go to a hatchery or breeder list. they will have some "available straight run only". those breeds are NOT sexable by feathers, or color, or markings, etc. only by observation at later ages...
readintg that second link. looks like i should keep those three light brahmas batnams i have to cross with Pecky....? adn any othe rlight brahmas in my new batch of bantams... already intended to use my PBR pullets for crossing...
really like that table at the bottom, for how to sex heavy breesc, sinc emostly that is what i have! looks like mostly pullets out of my hatches!
edited to say seocnd not third link
This message was edited Jun 21, 2008 3:11 PM
WOW, i love th HandyDandy site, didn't know he had a page on sexing!!! his chart is even better. he didn't metnion beak length. i saw that somehwere, so looked my birds over and can see the difference in beak length at all ages, but ever so slight!
tf
Thanks for the tip tf......off to look up hatcheries. Of course, with all the mixed up chicks that are hatching, I don't know if it will do me much good with this group! : )
I know the best way to sex chicks..... wait till they're 5 months old and if they start laying eggs, they are hens. And if they start crowing, they are roosters!!!
GG
LOL Granny!