Sexing chicks by hanging upside-down

[MaryZoe]

I've kept chickens for about 4-5 years and I've heard all sorts of methods of sexing chicks. My personal favorite method is either sex-linking through breeding or watching for early development of combs along with observing chicks' behavior. I just hatched two Silkie chicks, whose combs are hard to see when they're young. But one is clearly larger than the other and though both are partridge colored, the smaller one has clearer markings and eye liner, which often suggests pullets in other breeds. I am assuming that the larger chick, who also stands and acts like a roo, is a cockerel, while the smaller one who acts, looks, and stands like a hen, is a pullet. Someone came over to look at them today and held them both upside-down to see what they did. They both pulled up (like a sit-up) into her hand. She said that means they're both cockerels. She has a LOT more experience keeping chickens than I do, so I kind of believe her. But it goes against my experience with partridge coloring and pullet vs. cockerel behavior.

So my question is, is it true that if you hold chicks upside down by their legs and they try to do a sit up, they are a cockerel (she said only cockerels have the necessary muscles to do a sit up due to their ability to crow). Or is her method an urban (or rural!) myth?

In the pics below, the one with the eye-stripe is the one I thought might be a pullet. The other one (taller and usually above her) is the one I knew was a cockerel.

Thanks!

 

[21hens-incharge]

It is 100% a myth.

Could both your birds be male? Sure but they could both be female or one of each too.

 

[oldhen2345]

I do this and it is not infallible, but I get a fair percentage of accuracy. When I got my day old chicks from a reputable hatchery, I did this and got one that may be a boy. I ordered all females. So, now they are 5 weeks old and I still think it is a male, even more so. The comb is dark apricot and so are the wattles. The legs look to be the same as the other of the same breed as do the feathers. So, time will tell. You may just have a feisty pullet - or could be a cockerel. Just have to wait and watch.

 

[MaryZoe]

I do this and it is not infallible, but I get a fair percentage of accuracy. When I got my day old chicks from a reputable hatchery, I did this and got one that may be a boy. I ordered all females. So, now they are 5 weeks old and I still think it is a male, even more so. The comb is dark apricot and so are the wattles. The legs look to be the same as the other of the same breed as do the feathers. So, time will tell. You may just have a feisty pullet - or could be a cockerel. Just have to wait and watch.

Interesting. What I found questionable was that she said it was due to an extra muscle the males have that allows them to crow. If that's true, it should be general knowledge. I just haven't seen it in any scientific resources about chickens.

 

[21hens-incharge]

The extra muscle thing is a new one on me.

 

[HuffleClaw]

It is 100% a myth.

Could both your birds be male? Sure but they could both be female or one of each too.

Agreed.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Males don't have an extra muscle that gives them the ability to crow. That's 100% inaccurate.
As for the sexing method it's 50% accurate. And flipping a coin is just as accurate.
You gotta ask yourself if that method was true at all wouldn't you think the hatcheries would be using it instead of vent sexing?
It would seem easier, faster and less training for the sexers.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Total nonsense.
When I started reading your original post, I thought the lady "with a lot of experience" was just encumbered with that old wives' tale and may actually know some things.
But when I read about the extra muscle, I realized she has little real knowledge about chickens or biology for that matter and I encourage that you no longer seek out her advice.
People get things stuck in their minds and they stay there no matter what.
When she heard I had chickens, a lady that owns a local produce market told me how much better brown eggs taste than white eggs.
As I explained the shell color doesn't affect taste but it is from what the chickens ate. The more we discussed it the madder she got. I had several different breeds at the time. I even offered to bring a green egg, a white egg, a normal brown egg and an extremely dark egg and that they would all taste the same because they all ate the same feed and foraged the same area. She basically ran me out of her store.

People who grew up on farms with brown egg layers remember how good those eggs tasted and then upon moving to the city, they got grocery store cage hen white eggs and can tell the difference. It becomes part of their DNA.

 

[julesnw]

NOT a myth!!!! We have a local chick whisperer that learned this from a Chinese woman years ago and she has over 95% accuracy in sexing in a feed store selling many thousands of chicks per year.

 

[WingItRanch]

NOT a myth!!!! We have a local chick whisperer that learned this from a Chinese woman years ago and she has over 95% accuracy in sexing in a feed store selling many thousands of chicks per year.

Hmmm.... and what is this "local chick whisperer's" accuracy?... sounds made up to me. If this were true, the hatcheries would be doing it and saving tons of money.

Edited to add: hanging chickens upside down is not something I would personally do. They can't breathe properly.