2 cocks

[PeteDerby]

Pete

Have you needle-tested "him"?

Needle test test?

[PeteDerby]

I have a nest pair of yearling cocks that I have put in my widowhood team. They were both raced as youngsters. They have both taken over their own boxes but also like keeping on billing and cooing to each other. I did remove one for a few weeks and when I put him back in they started strutting around after each other like cocks do with hens. I am pairing up in a week or so and will be interesting how they react then.
Never had 2 cocks like this before. My question is does anyone think I can use this joint admiration to my advantage when racing them next season?

Until 2017 I’d never seen this. That year I had two gay yearlings even when hens were in the loft they weren’t interested, one of them raced well scoring nearly every channel race the other was no good so I kept him home. Had two more this year neither were much good I think one of them scored about 50thish Nrcc Perth but that was it. I remember Terry Macarthy from pigeon chat days saying gay cocks were some of his best.

Trouble is they are stock birds so unless I try to break them and race them they’ll be useless. Early days yet though. Yesterday I put the one acting like a hen back in the hen loft and he/she hasn’t started driving again yet.

[MIL]

What you can do Pete is this (It's easier with 2 people)

Get a piece of string and tie it to a needle

You then hover the needle over the back of the birds shoulders

The needle will start to move one of 2 ways

In a straight line up an down (it's a cock) - If it goes in a circular motion its a hen

Think i'm kidding? Try this on members of your own family.

Turn your wrist upwards so the palm is facing upwards. Hover the needle over the wrist - you'll get the same results.

Straight line - male. Circular - female

I've seen very occasionally incorrect results with this, but all in all its a good a way to sex something as there is

Back in the early 1990's I started racing YB on the darkness by only putting hens on it - the cocks were natural

I think in 7 years of doing this I got 2 pigeons sex wrong - that's like 2 out of over 200 tested

Pretty good odds

[PeteDerby]

What you can do Pete is this (It's easier with 2 people)

Get a piece of string and tie it to a needle

You then hover the needle over the back of the birds shoulders

The needle will start to move one of 2 ways

In a straight line up an down (it's a cock) - If it goes in a circular motion its a hen

Think i'm kidding? Try this on members of your own family.

Turn your wrist upwards so the palm is facing upwards. Hover the needle over the wrist - you'll get the same results.

Straight line - male. Circular - female

I've seen very occasionally incorrect results with this, but all in all its a good a way to sex something as there is

Back in the early 1990's I started racing YB on the darkness by only putting hens on it - the cocks were natural

I think in 7 years of doing this I got 2 pigeons sex wrong - that's like 2 out of over 200 tested

Pretty good odds

Wow! I know every day is supposed to be a learning day but (assuming it’s not a wind up ) this is another level info.

[Buster121]

What you can do Pete is this (It's easier with 2 people)

Get a piece of string and tie it to a needle

You then hover the needle over the back of the birds shoulders

The needle will start to move one of 2 ways

In a straight line up an down (it's a cock) - If it goes in a circular motion its a hen

Think i'm kidding? Try this on members of your own family.

Turn your wrist upwards so the palm is facing upwards. Hover the needle over the wrist - you'll get the same results.

Straight line - male. Circular - female

I've seen very occasionally incorrect results with this, but all in all its a good a way to sex something as there is

Back in the early 1990's I started racing YB on the darkness by only putting hens on it - the cocks were natural

I think in 7 years of doing this I got 2 pigeons sex wrong - that's like 2 out of over 200 tested

Pretty good odds

Wow! I know every day is supposed to be a learning day but (assuming it’s not a wind up ) this is another level info.

Certainly works Pete, I have heard of some doing it over the eggs but no idea if it does or not

[MIL]

Try it Pete - you'll see

I don't pi$$ about where pigeons are concerned

[Murray]

I was reading this and it suddenly occurred to me.
Why?
Who cares?
Cocks will be cocks and hens will be hens. Eventually.

[PeteDerby]

I was reading this and it suddenly occurred to me.
Why?
Who cares?
Cocks will be cocks and hens will be hens. Eventually.

It’s a good point, but being my first year I’m trying to get the pairing right as soon as possible so I can breed from my new stock birds and try them in the basket and see whether my foundation stock is any good? It’s probably created a false sense of urgency if I’m honest. One of the guys I’ve had some birds from is offering to swap birds around if I don’t have pairs, which again is forcing the issue in my head.

I’m away for 10 days from tomorrow so maybe I’ll have some eggs by the time I get back from a source I didn’t expect!

[NeilA]

I was reading this and it suddenly occurred to me.
Why?
Who cares?
Cocks will be cocks and hens will be hens. Eventually.

To match his pairs I would think

[goose1]

What you can do Pete is this (It's easier with 2 people)

Get a piece of string and tie it to a needle

You then hover the needle over the back of the birds shoulders

The needle will start to move one of 2 ways

In a straight line up an down (it's a cock) - If it goes in a circular motion its a hen

Think i'm kidding? Try this on members of your own family.

Turn your wrist upwards so the palm is facing upwards. Hover the needle over the wrist - you'll get the same results.

Straight line - male. Circular - female

I've seen very occasionally incorrect results with this, but all in all its a good a way to sex something as there is

Back in the early 1990's I started racing YB on the darkness by only putting hens on it - the cocks were natural

I think in 7 years of doing this I got 2 pigeons sex wrong - that's like 2 out of over 200 tested

Pretty good odds

I have heard of this but never tried it. What is the youngest age you think you could try this out at Mike? Just in the future I'm seriously considering just racing hens so at weaning age I'd be looking to keep the hens and let the cocks go out to folk.

I have heard Geoff Cooper saying the first egg hatched (not laid) was nearly always the cock?

And another one I do use which is pretty accurate is the two outside toes...if their the same length their more often than not a hen and if one bigger than the other their a cock. Wouldn't say it's as accurate as what you've explained above but probably 8/10 it is.