Benefits of bird sexing

Get to know all the benefits of bird sexing, it’s something that few bird owners know how to do. However, it is a very useful procedure for anyone who has birds as pets. Even for those who professionally breed birds of all kinds, sexing is indispensable for a functional business.

What is bird sexing and why is it done?

Bird sexing is the procedure that lets you know the sex of a specific bird. It seems unnecessary to create such a specific term for something so seemingly simple. There is no procedure for sexing cats or dogs, you just have to look at their genitals and that’s it. So, why is there a specific procedure for birds? The point is that birds are quite different from mammals.

 

Mammals have external reproductive organs, that is, they are outside their body. This makes them visible to the naked eye without the need for procedures or the use of tools. Birds, along with other oviparous, do not have this configuration of reproductive organs. This makes it a little more complicated to know their sex.

 

On the other hand, birds, reptiles and other oviparous animals have an organ called the Cloacal. This is a cleft that protects and hides their sexual organs. Only during mating, male birds manage to get their reproductive organs out of the cloacal. Otherwise, they remain completely hidden and inaccessible to the untrained eye.

 

This is why certain specialized procedures are required to determine the sex of a bird. The sewer is a delicate organ that is difficult to access. Moreover, even if you know how to reach it, it does not guarantee that you can determine the sex. This is because the reproductive organs of birds are quite different from those of mammals.

 

In regard to this, there are several procedures for determining the sex of a bird, but detailing them is not the focus of this article. What we are looking for is to clarify the usefulness of this procedure for bird owners and breeders. In order to be something so complicated, it must certainly have a palpable utility for whoever who does it. Besides, it’s really useful to get to know the sex of any animal, especially birds.

What are the benefits of bird sexing?

There are several benefits of sexing birds for anyone who has one, really. However, not everyone gets the same benefit from handling that information and knowing how to get it. Not all people have birds for the same reasons, and some interests may vary, the usefulness of sexing varies. This varies mostly in whether you keep birds for casual reasons or if you are more fond of breeding.

 

Besides, a person who has a bird just for company and aesthetics may not be very interested in knowing its sex. For these people, it is enough to have a pet and keep it healthy and happy. For this type of owner, the sex of the pet is rather irrelevant, as with reptile and fish owners. So these people probably don’t know or care about sex.

 

On the other hand, there are people much more interested in the sex of birds. It is even very useful information for your day to day and for the best treatment of your birds. These people are mostly bird watchers, amateur breeders, and marketers of birds. For these people, it is essential to be able to determine the sex of the birds they breed.

 

 

Why is it so important to know the benefits of bird sexing and how useful this type of information can be? Here are some of the reasons why:

Naming the birds properly

Perhaps it is the most superficial reason among the benefits of sexing birds, but nevertheless one of the utmost importance to bird owners. While birds and all non-human animals don’t care what they’re called, their owners do. For someone who is thinking of acquiring a new pet, it is crucial to be able to assign a name according to the sex of the animal.

 

As we had already agreed, determining the sex of a bird is sometimes quite difficult, especially when they are chicks. While there are birds that are physically different from each other as they grow, they are virtually identical as they are born. At this stage, it is necessary to perform a sexing to know if they are female or male.

 

For someone who is looking for a young bird to raise, it is essential to get to know the sex before making the purchase. Knowing the gender of your pet, either on your own or through a breeder, you will be able to give it a suitable name. This does not benefit the bird at all, but it certainly helps the owner to have a better relationship with his or her pet.

 

Many owners, although they do not admit it, they constantly give human characteristics to their pets. This is called anthropomorphizing, and it is something inevitable in human behavior. For reasons of empathy, it is necessary for us to project our humanity onto non-human entities. So even though they don’t care, a proper name can be beneficial to a bird.

 

Determine gender-specific medical conditions

The birds suffer from certain physiological conditions that must be treated to avoid regrettable outcomes. It is the responsibility of every good breeder and veterinarian to know what is happening to the bird and how to treat it. It is even something that the owners themselves should be able to handle in order to provide a better life for their pets.

 

One aspect that cannot be overlooked when diagnosing a disease is determining its symptoms. It is the symptoms that may indicate exactly what is happening to the animal. But even before interpreting the symptoms, it is necessary to know the characteristics of the animal. It’s not the same as abdominal pain in a woman as it is in a human being.

 

Similarly, birds have specific afflictions to the sex they belong to. So for a veterinarian or breeder, it is necessary to get to know the sex in advance before reaching conclusions. Only in this way, the symptoms can be properly interpreted and effective treatment can be achieved. Without this initial step, any processing will be assigned irresponsibly.

 

For example, female birds suffer from a condition called egg retention. This condition occurs when they cannot lay their eggs and they accumulate inside them. This is evidenced by swelling, lack of mobility and lethargy. However, in a male bird, these symptoms could never indicate egg retention.

It is for cases like this that it is very important to know the sex of a bird.

Avoiding fights over territorial issues

Many birds have territorial behaviors. This means that they consider specific species and everything in them as their property, and other members of their species are included. Specifically the females and their offspring that will serve as their community.

 

Males are usually assigned ownership of these spaces, and they will often be forced to fight over them. Other males can and will try to take territory away from established chiefs with violence and force. In these fights, both birds can be seriously injured, even to the point of death.

 

These conflicts can even occur in captivity. And it’s something that breeders and owners need to take into account to avoid their birds get hurt. It is also an important factor in the breeding season even in generally non-territorial birds. Even these birds can become violent when there are females in heat nearby.

 

To avoid this it is necessary to identify the sex of the bird before deciding where it will be located. It is generally a bad idea to put two male birds in one space, especially if they are both young. And if it’s not a problem to group them together, it may become a problem if females are introduced into the cage. This can cause the males to start fighting over the female.

In order to sell them better

Another somewhat superficial but not unimportant reason. A potential buyer of birds will require to know the sex of the bird before making the purchase. His reasons can vary greatly depending on the person. It may be for aesthetic reasons, safety reasons or to obtain offspring. Whatever the case, a good salesman and breeder must know how to assure the customer of a bird of his choice.

 

Since most causal owners will not know how to determine the sex of a bird, it will be up to the breeder. Before the birds are sold, their sex must be determined and they must be properly grouped and identified. If this is not done, there is a risk of offering the client something he did not ask for. This may even have legal ramifications in the long run.

 

Determining the proper way to raise them

Female birds need specific care that males do not necessarily require. The opposite is also true, and these differences must be taken into account to breed healthy birds. The differences are mostly based on reproductive issues. And ensuring specialized care can guarantee a smooth reproductive cycle.

 

The females destined for breeding will need special complements so that they can better manage their gestation. Similarly, once they have their chicks, they will need some extra help to get back on their feet and to support their offspring. A responsible breeder should be able to guarantee these specialized deals.

 

To know how to focus these efforts, it will be necessary first of all that the breeder can determine the sex of the bird. Once this has been determined, you can provide everything you need for a successful gestation. It is also a question of humanity since the mother and its little birds will be assured of a healthy life.

Determining production quotas

For breeders who have medium to large scale enterprises, constant production is necessary. A drop in the quality and consistency of production can have serious economic consequences. It is every breeder’s responsibility to keep a business running according to his ambitions and capabilities.

 

An indispensable part of ensuring adequate production is to maintain constant and stable brood production. It is necessary that all birds are not only healthy and happy but that they perform their function effectively. After all, the birds will determine the success and efficiency of a poultry farm.

 

Before you can think of the best ways to optimize production, a first step is needed. This is simply to ensure that the birds are identified and grouped according to their sex. This requires sexing the birds as soon as they are born and giving them the specific care required. Without this first step, no stable production can be expected.

Differentiating morphologically identical birds

Many birds can be identified by their sex thanks to their plumage. In general, the colorful and striking birds are the males and the females have more neutral colors. This is because males must attract females with their colors. There are also other salient features in males, such as size and crests.

 

These morphological characteristics manifest themselves mostly in adulthood. As chicks, the differences are very difficult to detect, if not non-existent. The best example of this case is the chickens and roosters. As pigeons, they are indistinguishable from one another, but as they grow up it is impossible to confuse them.

 

However, this is not the case with all birds. There are some of them that in their adulthood and youth are virtually identical. These birds include owls, ravens, and vultures. There are mostly differences in size between them, but this is not enough to identify them at first sight.

 

For this type of bird, a sexing procedure is necessary to get to know exactly its biological sex. This is of particular interest to biologists and conservationists who do field studies and monitoring. For these people, speculation based on observable size is not enough of a criterion.

 

Benefits of bird sexing

Enjoy all the benefits of bird sexing. We can help you. In sexadodeaves.com, we are specialists in bird sexing through DNA. You can contact us through our mail or directly from the web. You can also follow us through our social networks (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram)  and get informed with all the content we publish in our blog.