Chick Sexing News – Of what value is chick sexing?
By Canadian Poultry
Features 100th anniversary Key Developments Business/PolicyMarch 1934
Now that chick sexing in Canada is a fact, let’s see what the future holds.
For the egg producer
The egg producer never wanted cockerels; he just had to have them along with the pullet chicks he bought. Every year they crowded his pullets, ate a lot of food, took up a lot of room, and a lot of time and finally – were sold at a loss. The buying of day old pullets, crowding can be eliminated, better, more even growth can be obtained and, because of these things, BETTER pullets will be raised. That’s the point. Every commercial egg producer needs better pullets, and birds that are raised under the best of conditions and brought along without any set backs ARE better.
The Breeder and Hatcheryman
Early results of advertising pullet chicks has quickly demonstrated the demand. The first year must be more or less of an experiment. Breeders do not yet know what percentage of poultrymen will buy Sexed Pullet Chicks. As an indication of what may be expected, a Washington hatchery states that between 70 and 80 per cent of their early orders are for Sexed Chicks. If we accept this we might well expert buyers of later hatched chicks to request about 100 per cent Sexed Chicks.
One feature not looked for that is developing is that breeders of heavy breeds are receiving enquires for Sexed Cockerel Chicks in such volume that they cannot possibly be supplied.
The packing houses are keenly interested in the Sexed Leghorn Cockerels and are taking steps to see that they get their supply. For that reason it would not seem wise for the individual to attempt to raise Leghorn males with the hope of the price being high in consequence of a shortage. There isn’t going to be any shortage.
The Chick Sexing Student
A two week course recently completed at the training school of the Chick Sexing Association of America, at New Westminster, resulted in several students reaching the creditable stage of being able to sex with over 80 per cent accuracy. Of course no speed tests were attempted, as in the short space of two weeks nothing much beyond the fundamentals can be grasped.
Mrs. Dunford of Calgary, made three test of the last day of 25 chicks each and secured an accuracy of 80-76-84 percent or an average of 80 per cent. James Forshaw, a young fellow from Greenwood, B.C., did even better and got 92-72-80 or an average of 81 per cent. R.V. Wilcox, an R.O.P. inspector living at Salmon Arm, was the steadiest of the lot, his percentages being 80-88-80 on the three tests.
There is no doubt that Canadians are going to learn to sex chicks. This season when breeders and hatcherymen are handling chicks every day will be a wonderful opportunity to learn by studying the book and the chicks side by side. It is not easy, but what profession is easy to acquire? The rewards are great because Chick Sexing experts are going to be in demand the world over and the remuneration is decidedly attractive.
Japanese Experts
There being no Canadians yet able to sex with sufficient speed and accuracy, the Chick Sexing Association has obtained permission to import some young Japanese experts for this season. They can sex 5,000 a day with the utmost ease and with an accuracy of between 97 and 100 per cent – which is going some. It is these highly qualified experts that the Chick Sexing Association will use exclusively for their work this year. Breeders and hatcherymen may have every confidence in having their chicks sexed by these men.
We have the word of the association that they will never employ Sexers who have not proper qualifications. This is protection for the poultryman.
The economy of it all
An early report comes from the Washington Co-op at Bellingham, Washington. They had chicks sent up to Canada to be sexed and returned. One hundred chicks were placed in batteries side by pullet chicks and one hundred cockerel side. Their feed was weighed accurately. In ten days the cockerel chicks had grown considerably more than the pullets and had eaten 30 percent more feed.
Further figures will be available at a later date but 30 per cent extra feed means some saving to the purchaser of pullet chicks.
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