I was quite surprised after I published yesterday's post about the number of emails I got in regard to chicken sexing. (side note - I did send the email but so far no response). But the chicken sexing thing seemed to resonitate with a lot of folk, so it seems fitting I do a follow up investigation on the topic.
For a start and I repeat, chicken sexing has nothing to do with making love to poultry. If you have stumbled across my blog from Googling I want to have sex with a chicken you are in the wrong place. And you are also a dirty bugger who needs help.
Chicken sexing is a highly trained skill in which the worker determines the sex of a baby chick to see whether it is a cockerel or a pullet (boy or girl). Girls are highly prized (as opposed to China) as they have a career in egg laying while a select few boys are kept for breeding while the rest are sent to the big KFC in the sky.
I love all animals apart from snakes. I especially love baby chickens. But the following bullet points will illustrate why I could NEVER be a chicken sexer.
■Before examining the vent, discharge the chicken´s excretions by lightly pressing on both sides of the abdomen in a downward motion.
■Place the chicken on its back in the palm of your hand with the head towards you, put your thumb and first two fingers around its thighs to hold it.
■Tip your hand so that the chicken´s breast is towards you, vent uppermost.
■Place your middle fingers over the chicken´s breast to support the chicken leaving your thumb free. (If you have large hands, place the chicken´s head between your little finger and ring finger for additional support.)
■Place the thumb of your other hand on the lower portion of the vent (anus).
■Using the index finger start from the top of the vent moving down, back and around, rolling the vent in a sideways action.
■At the same time a similar action with the free thumb, starting from the top and rolling down and back.
■With the thumb and forefinger placed either side of the vent apply gentle pressure and a rolling action to evert the vent and expose the male eminence or lack of it (sexed as female). After a little practice this can be accomplished without injury or significant discomfort to the chicken.
Click here for more information on chicken sexing. There is a book.
On the upside, the word on the net is that Chicken Sexers can make a lot of money. On the downside the job does sound pretty gross. It is second worst job I can think of behind emptying sanitary bins. And I know a bit about that because I once dropped my engagement ring into one at a fancy (and very busy) bar in the city.
What would be YOUR world's worst job?
