Sexing

[CaptMicha]

I want to get Daisy sexed, so what would be the least traumatic way to obtain DNA? Pluck feathers from her chest (what was it, 5???), cut her nail to the quick, or use a syringe at the base of her tail? I have tiny insuline ones that she should hardly feel.

Plus, why is the blood form of DNA the cheapest to test?

[chris631]

I chickened out on that (pardon the pun) my birds answered that question for me, just had the names reversed. Rico and Lola, became Rica and Lolo after becoming parents lol. What i did find out was my vet would do it for me for 25 dollars, if you want to consider that. Chris

[Janie]

I think my vet charges $50 but the method used is to put them"under." I've watched her do it at bird fairs. My last two were DNA'd by their breeder and the cost was $25. She used the feather plucking method and pulled at least 5 from each bird. I could not pull the feathers, yep, I'm a chicken, but I would pay my vet to do it (pull the feathers I mean) if I had no other options. Cutting a nail freaks me out even more than pulling feathers. I know it's done and I know it's fine to use that method for sexing but *I* could not do it.

It's only recently that I've been able to clip a few flight feathers. My hubby won't help me cause he's so afraid it will hurt them! :rolleyes: He's a bigger chicken than I am! :lol

[miracleleo]

I had my birds sexed with both feather and blood. I am sure birds get nervous during both procedures. My husband helped pulling their feather (I made him do it) while I was holding them steady. For blood testing I did not want to do it by myself. Just like Janie's birds, my vet sedated my bird and took blood sample quickly while she's asleep. She woke up a minute later and moved around as if nothing happened. Birds may feel must less pain in this method but it was costly ($50 for the test plus FedEx shipping to lab).

[CaptMicha]

I'm chicken too, lol. If it was for their health, I would do ANYTHING without batting an eye but for something like just sexing them, yeah... I'm chicken.

Even if she's gonna be expensive, I might as well ask her if feathers or blood hurt the least.

[Asue]

I plucked Mikey... I did it one at a time over a period of an hour :whistle: ... he kept squaking at me and gave me the "What the **** was THAT for?!" :confused: look. I kept apologizing to him over and over with each sucessfully plucked feather... :(

I think that surgical sexing is the most sure fire way to determine sex. (way expensive and tramatic over DNA ) But you could always send in DNA for a first test, then a few months later send in the same DNA for a second test.
I did the second test cause sometimes you can have a false result. Mine came out male both times. Make sure the feather shaft has "rings" inside the base of the feather shaft... they split the feather and use the rings for dna samples for sexing. I believe blood samples are easiest to test, while you gotta work to gain dna from feathers.