sexing chickens

danniella · **Posted:** Thu Oct 18, 2007 12:59 pm

hi can anybody tell me how to sex day old chickens

Peacocks Australia · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2002 9:14 am **Posts:** 310755

Feather sexing

Feather sexing is easy, but it requires that the chickens be specially bred to manifest their sex in differences in the feathers as hatchlings. Male chickens in these breeds have longer wing pinfeathers than the females do, which makes them relatively easy to tell apart. Most chickens do not have these traits bred into them, and the hatchlings are identical to all but the skilled eye of the professional chicken sexer.

Vent sexing

Vent sexing involves literally squeezing the feces out of the chick, which opens up the rectum (more properly, the cloaca) slightly, allowing the chicken sexer to see if the chick has a small "bump", which would indicate that the chick is a male. Some females have very small bumps, but rarely do they have the large bumps male chicks possess.
Vent sexing is not easy. The sexual organs of birds are located within the body; the professional vent sexer has studied their external appearance, which can fall into as many as fifteen basic patterns, and learned to identify which ones are male and which female. Vent sexing is a difficult trade to master; many professional vent sexers are Japanese, where the art originated. The mystery of vent sexing was revealed to the Western world when a seminal paper was published in Japan in 1933 by Professors Masui and Hashimoto, which was soon translated into English under the title Sexing baby chicks. After Masui and Hashimoto's discovery, interested poultry breeders brought in people who had been trained by them to teach the art, or sent representatives to Japan to learn it.The skill is complex and has been likened to skill at playing chess and other crafts or games where pattern recognition is the key to success.

We use vent sexing and works well, hope this helps

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_sexer

Jeff Trescott · **Posted:** Fri Oct 19, 2007 4:05 pm

I can do it when they crow :-D

or if I use a magnifying glass :oops:

Jeff

minotaur · **Joined:** Fri Oct 19, 2007 4:49 pm **Posts:** 2

Hi

I vent sex my chicks at day old. I was taught by a professional chicken sexer. I have sexed probably 30,00 -50,000 chicks now. It is hard but with a little practice you can get 80% accurracy. You will need to be shown how to do it, or at least " open' the chicks.
I would say I am the only chicken sexer that has sexed various pure breeds.
Pekin bantams, silkies, beligans, anconas, leghorns, houdans, hamburgs, barnevelders, sussex, polish, leghorns, and cross breed layers Isa browns and commerical broilers

The general theme I see is that light egg laying breeds are relatively easy as day olds. Oramentals and heavy meat birds are actually easier to sex a few days later. I have a theory that is all has to do with sexual development and that as good laying varieties are sexually mature quickier i.e laying eggs that downstairs is a little further along tah the slowing developing breeds. One day when I have time I will write an article for Australasian Poultry

Peacocks Australia · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2002 9:14 am **Posts:** 310755

Hi Minotaur, WELCOME TO THE FORUM, We hope you find the Forum Informative & Helpful. Great information, it's great to have a highly experienced Chicken sexer, your experience will be very helpful to other members no doubt.

Thanks
Peacocks Australia :lol:

danniella · **Posted:** Sat Oct 20, 2007 7:46 am

thanks for all that information is there anyone out there that could teach me

Peacocks Australia · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2002 9:14 am **Posts:** 310755

Hi Danniella, We are a little far away but not sure what state, minotaur is in? If not try to contact your local Poultry club they may have a member that is experienced.

Thanks
Peacocks Australia :lol:

Jeff Trescott · **Posted:** Sun Oct 21, 2007 6:59 pm

Lismore Poultry Club

President: Tony Maslen 02 6663 1236
Secretary: Ross Robinson 02 6621 6783

Might Help :?:

Jeff

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