ABN 74 704 324 198
Chick sexing
An extract from 'Burke's Backyard'
A top rating national television program in Australia.
One of the world's most specialist careers would have to be chick sexing.
Melbourne man, Bob Martin, has spent a lifetime studying and practicing vent-sexing. His book, 'The Specialist Chick Sexer' is a fascinating documentation of this obscure but vital quest for technical accuracy
His book explains how poultry farmers once waited until chicks were five to six weeks old before differentiating male and female. This became visible when adult feathers started appearing and cockerels (males) developed feathers from pullets (hens). But for commercial egg production it's important to keep females and not feed males unnecessarily.
In 1924 three Japanese scientists developed a technique for determining the sex of hatchling investigating the chicken's vent (rear end). In 1933 the first Japanese chick sexers arrived in North America to train locals in the new technique. In 1934 they went to Australia to sex chickens and teach Australians the technique. In 1935 the Japanese experts went to Europe to sex commercially and teach others.
Mr. Martin's book describes the technique, which involves close examination of the chicken's cloaca, which is a common external opening for the digestive, urinary and reproductive tract. The sexer looks for a degenerate penis, which all males chicks have but also 15% females have also. The skill comes in determining the sex of this 15% female. It sounds simple, but in fact requires great concentration, accuracy, long hours of training and practice, practice, practice and examination for errors.
Our segment featured two top chicken sexers, Mr. Hartley Hall, one of the original chicken sexers trained by the Japanese in the early 1930's, and Mr. Frank Evans, considered one of Australia's all-time top sexers, and teachers.
The value to the industry and the skill required is recognised and Mr. Martin said top sexers may earn $4000 - $700 a day plus expenses. A fair day's work could see 5000 - 7000 chicks sexed.
'The Specialist Chick Sexer' is also a record of the importance the discovery made to the poultry industry worldwide. The book is available from Bernal Publishing 4 Frank Street box Hill south Vic. 3128 Australia.
Burke's Backyard 1998
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