FINCHforum

I am trying to get ready for the mart next weekend so I am trying to sex my 20 owls. This would make it a lot easier selling at the show. It is proving difficult with this many so far.

Chase, how old are they? Mine are around 8 months going through a molt, some are done. Sexing is difficult when they are young!! I know I have males but sexing females is a bit challenging...still!

did you use Liz's guide?
http://www.gardenessgardens.com/OwlSexing.html

I read it and have it pulled up now. They are younger but all colored out. Trying to separate them all to see if that will work.

Let me know what works for you..I will be doing the same soon!

I can tell males for the most part, some are singing.

what might be easy is, (IMO) catch 4 or 5, put them in a smaller cage (breeder cage) and watch them for a while, if any sing, it will be narrowed down to 4 or 5 and you can figure out who it is easier.

I have stared at them all day and now they all look alike. Tried everything to get them to sing. I will keep trying.

Ok...try this...
http://www.birdbazaar.com/BB-SexDetermination.htm

scroll down to the audio of the owl finch, see if this helps

Lots of chriping but no singing. I have a few days to watch them so we will see.

ok...pull out the coocfiber give them each a strand...if they start dancing the love dance then you got boys!!!

Seriously, it is difficult...one minute you think you see a female turns out to be a boy!! I have about a dozen or more to sex soon!

I thought I was pretty good at it, but it's a lot harder when there are a bunch. All of the traits start to run together.

We need to get Liz down here!!! Liz, do you need a Georgia/Florida vacation???

I put the birds one at a time in a small cage out of sight of the other Owls, but not necessarily out of hearing. Usually within 15 minutes, the males will sing. However, I have still made mistakes! I had three cages full of males. I gave them nests to sleep in. When I cleaned out the cages recently, one nest had eggs in it! Oops!! I messed up somehow, not even sure how I did it. I can see thinking a male is a hen if it didn't sing, but how did I think a hen was a male?

double bars are really tough. As previously mentioned the difference in the width and lengths or the bars is the only visual indicator-all else is guess work. Cocks and hens can both sing but the cocks are more vocal and melodious. I have had them on and off for many years and have never been 100% sure in sexing them. None of the breeders I know can do it 100% of the time either.