RodSD
208 posts
Apr 12, 2009
9:10 PM
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How do you find the sex of your birds before they become adults? Any technique? I can sex adult birds with their behavior, but what if they are like squeakers or even youngbirds that are less than breeding age?
Tony of this site must have secrets of identifying cock and hen, but it can be sex-link technique because of the red color. But who really knows.
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lil_jess
144 posts
Apr 12, 2009
9:38 PM
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the family I'm working with is really easy to identify their sex...especially young one...How I know, well...The larger one always turn out to be boy and smaller one always turn out to be girl...When I mention Larger I meant to say their body structure...Almost as if they are muscular...Hope it help...
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Home of the Admiration Of Flying Performing Pigeon...
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nicksiders
GOLD MEMBER
3381 posts
Apr 12, 2009
9:50 PM
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I use the S.W.A.G. method in sexing birds before they are old enough to sex themselves.
Scientific
Wild
Ass
Guess
Size of nasal lift; posture they get in when in little spats with other squeekers; head size. Put all of this together and then guess. I try not to get in such a hurry that I can't wait until they sex themselves.
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Just My Take On Things
Nick Siders
Last Edited by on Apr 12, 2009 10:09 PM
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RXR Loft
408 posts
Apr 12, 2009
10:06 PM
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simple...
the ones with eye lashes are hen's
and the rest are cock
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RxR Loft
Roll'em if you got'em... cuz commies don't roll
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Tony Chavarria
Site Publisher
3233 posts
Apr 13, 2009
4:35 AM
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One advantage I am finding in working with the Ash Red and Blue series pairs in my rollers is that you can identify the youngsters with better accuracy. The key for me is to know 2 pieces of information:
1: Ash Red is dominant over Blue
2: Cocks carry 2 chromosomes and Hens carry 1 for color
An Ash Red cock carrying blue because of the 2 chromosomes will be red check, red bar, etc but will always show blue ticking (flecking for Glenn). However, a hen with its 1 chromosome will only show one or the other color, not both. For example, she would either show Ash Red (red check, red bar) or Blue (dark check, blue bar) with the "spread" modifier gene, she can be lavendar (Ash Red) or black (Blue).
With these pairs, I am able to identify gender from the nest with near total accuracy. The challenge comes in when the pair is either both Ash Red or Blue, I look for traits that seem to be predominant in the cocks and hens.
Cocks:
* Tend to have a thicker back skull
* Frontal is a bit larger
* Secondary feathers a bit wider
* Longer tail
* Chest is broader
* Nose tissue is more bulbous
* Less space from end of keel bone to vent bones
* Can have a more masculine appearance compared to hens
Hens:
* Tend to have a thinner back skull
* Frontal is a bit thinner (not in all)
* Secondary feathers a bit narrower
* The tip of the Tail and primary feather ends tend to be flush when in standing position
* Chest is a bit more narrow
* Nose tissue is more flatter
* More space from end of keel bone to vent bones
* Can have a more feminine appearance compared to cocks
The physical traits are a bit more challenging (but if I should get it wrong, I always am willing to help my customers end up with the right gender).
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FLY ON! Tony Chavarria
Last Edited by on Apr 13, 2009 4:50 AM
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Shadow
374 posts
Apr 13, 2009
4:43 AM
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If sexing before feathers have grown its same way,as they sex the day old Chicks,its a smile for Cocks or a frown for Hens,and its approx 99% accurate
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Tony Chavarria
Site Publisher
3234 posts
Apr 13, 2009
4:53 AM
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Shadow, do you hold the bird upright or upside down? Do you think the "frown" could be a physiological trait having to do with passing an egg through the vent and enabling the hen to "point" to where she wants the egg to go? Just a question... :-)
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FLY ON! Tony Chavarria
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Tony Chavarria
Site Publisher
3239 posts
Apr 13, 2009
8:41 AM
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LOL
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FLY ON! Tony Chavarria
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tou2son
158 posts
Apr 13, 2009
10:36 AM
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Hey guys,
one way that i find helpful to identify sex is using a magnet tied with a string. You can also identify eggs if it's a male or a female. try it out.
touson
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PR_rollers
GOLD MEMBER
2845 posts
Apr 13, 2009
11:06 AM
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Tou I have it but even this is not 100o/o one time I thought I had a hen and a cock because of the reading and it turn out I had two hens..
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Ralph.
The greatest use of your life is so you live your life so that the use of your life will outlive your life, In other words what you going to leave behind legacy or Dust....
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rtwilliams
GOLD MEMBER
394 posts
Apr 14, 2009
8:24 PM
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I have heard the more elongated eggs are male, in other forms of poultry. But I can not keep track of pigeons once they hatch.
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RT Williams
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RodSD
209 posts
Apr 14, 2009
10:38 PM
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Thank you guys!
Thanks Tony for that comprehensive explanation!
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jnyce
665 posts
Apr 15, 2009
6:08 AM
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A friend of mine said that when you stick ur hand on the nest and the one that puffs up and start pecking and wing slapping its most likely a coc 90% of the
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jerry t
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Windjammer Loft
769 posts
Apr 15, 2009
4:08 PM
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I tie a 6" piece of sowing thread to a paper clip. Hold the bird in either hand, with its head pointed towards you. With the free hand, take the thread in hand holding the paper clip over the bird, at the base of the tail feathers about 1/2" to 1" above the bird. If the paper clip moves in circles,its a "hen". If it goes from side to side,its a "cockbird". I've used this method for years and it works for me.
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Fly High and Roll On
Paul
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Sunflower
GOLD MEMBER
375 posts
Apr 15, 2009
4:18 PM
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My question is why do you care what sex they are before they mature? Once they mature it is obvious with a little observation.
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Keep em Spinning
Joe
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Scott
2043 posts
Apr 16, 2009
5:32 AM
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That was kinda running through my head also Joe
(My question is why do you care what sex they are before they mature? Once they mature it is obvious with a little observation.)
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Just my Opinion
Scott
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0221
178 posts
Apr 16, 2009
6:51 AM
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Some people have to much time on there hands. I'm sure a person could find something else to stare into to.LOL LOL.
Last Edited by on Apr 16, 2009 12:21 PM
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RodSD
223 posts
Apr 16, 2009
11:12 PM
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Joe,
I have my own reason. LOL! Part of it is mere curiosity like whether your pregnant wife is carrying a boy or a girl. That way you can decorate the room properly or buy the right gender dress. LOL!
(Basically I just purchased several young birds and squeakers and I want to know what gender they have.)
I have observed in one of my breeding pair, for example, is that the babies that ended up as hen are actually better than the cock. So for that pair I want to have hens.
There are other reasons. For example, for commercial chicken breeders, they want to know whether the chick is a hen or a cock. They want the hen because they are more useful and profitable (for eggs). Buyers don't want cocks (they only use them for meat). Another example that I have is that I am looking for a hen for my cock, but I ended up buying youngbirds so I don't know their genders and I am hoping that one of them is a hen. I have also observed that uneven pairs (more cocks or more hens) can disturb the whole loft so I am hoping that what I purchased are the right genders. If my guess is wrong I will end up buying more birds.
Obviously, the easiest is just to buy mature, adult birds. But where is the challenge in that?
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Oldfart
GOLD MEMBER
952 posts
Apr 18, 2009
1:46 PM
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I can always tell if they are wearing eye makeup!
Thom
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toughrollers
109 posts
Apr 18, 2009
5:18 PM
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sexy looking bird thom
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Toughrollers--Lofts
Ralph
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Oldfart
GOLD MEMBER
954 posts
Apr 18, 2009
5:58 PM
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Hey Ralph, She is forth generation Ruby. Not all but most of the hens in my family carry that little patch of white on their eyes. Their matriarch passed her eye makeup (Smile) on to them. It's not science but it works for me! She is a cute little thing! ;-))
Thom
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toughrollers
110 posts
Apr 19, 2009
2:21 AM
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hi thom i also have ruby rollers, in australia, some of my hens cary the same marking as well. they are lovley birds
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Toughrollers--Lofts
Ralph
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toronto15
163 posts
Apr 19, 2009
5:15 AM
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Rod SD, converse with your birds, they will tell ya.Glen.
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Oldfart
GOLD MEMBER
956 posts
Apr 19, 2009
7:13 AM
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toughrollers, Hey Ralph, I thought you had some Ruby's. I hope you are having as much luck with yours as I am with mine. The white patch only shows up in my hens, none of the cocks. Do you find the same in your birds or have you seen any cocks with the patch?
Thanks, Thom
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toughrollers
111 posts
Apr 19, 2009
7:22 AM
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hi thom 25% of my hens cary that white patch on ther eyes.
my email addres is tough.r@hotmail.com i would realy like to chat with you
Toughrollers--Lofts
Ralph
Last Edited by on Apr 19, 2009 7:26 AM
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Tony Chavarria
Site Publisher
3248 posts
Apr 19, 2009
9:23 AM
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"My question is why do you care what sex they are before they mature? Once they mature it is obvious with a little observation."
1: Curiosity leads to furthering personal knowledge about roller pigeons
2: Giving away or selling a pair of young birds
3: Want to stock a hen/cock early for preservation or breeding (bop/losses)
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FLY ON! Tony Chavarria
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Oldfart
GOLD MEMBER
957 posts
Apr 19, 2009
10:08 AM
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Tony, I was being tongue in cheek but the little eye marking does only show up in my hens. On a serious note being able to sex individuals helps me to plan next years breeding season earlier. I'm evaluating the young bird kit with an eye toward the future. I have minimal numbers to work with so I must maximize even in planing. My number considerations are dictated by my proximity to my neighbors and to be honest my pocket. I would rather have quality over quantity any day. ;-))
Thom
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Tony Chavarria
Site Publisher
3250 posts
Apr 19, 2009
10:38 AM
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Al, sounds to me like he is studying his birds AND flying them. I don't think he is worried do you? ;-)
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FLY ON! Tony Chavarria
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Tony Chavarria
Site Publisher
3251 posts
Apr 19, 2009
10:43 AM
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Thom and Ralph, good observation, now that I think about it, it does appear on several hens, I can't think of any cocks in my loft at the moment that have that ticking by the eye like that.
I am told this trait indicates there is grizzle in the back ground which there is on the older pedigrees I have.
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FLY ON! Tony Chavarria
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0221
200 posts
Apr 19, 2009
11:05 AM
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Tony,
Maybe I should have said, Wonder. No I don't think He's Worried. He really seems to be enjoying Himself. Have fun.
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Oldfart
GOLD MEMBER
958 posts
Apr 19, 2009
12:00 PM
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Tony, Grizzles are GOOD! (Big Smile)
Al, I just think any and every tool we can use will make for a better decision. I am having a wonderful time! Only the best for you and yours and No Worries Mate. (Sorry Ralph) ;-))
Thom
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Snake Doctor
GOLD MEMBER
381 posts
Apr 20, 2009
6:59 PM
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I am pretty sure that Prof. Ducett can give you the phone number for a Gris-gris Lady down the bayou what can tell you the sex of your birds for $2.00 each. Better watch out if you don't follow her instructions!
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"Semper Fi"
SD
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wishiwon2
182 posts
Apr 20, 2009
9:54 PM
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I have used the wire on a string method and it has been pretty reliable. I use a copper wire. On cocks it swings in a circle, for hens it swings in a line head to tail.
I have no explanation for why this works, but it does.
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Jon
"had fun, wish i won 2"
If it were easy, everybody would do it ...
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rookie from ct
GOLD MEMBER
262 posts
Apr 19, 2010
4:52 PM
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BUMP THIS I am with Windjammers,769post and also with sunflowers,375 wait tel. next year. Dennis
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