Efficiency of the Cloacal Sexing Technique in Greater Rhea Chicks (Rhea americana)

BAZZANO, G, ; LECHE, A.; MARTELLA, M.B.; NAVARRO, J.L.

BRITISH POULTRY SCIENCE

TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2012 vol. 53 p. 394 - 396

0007-1668

1. The feasibility and accuracy of the cloacal sexing technique in greater rhea chicks wasassessed using chicks of two captive populations of greater rhea in Cordoba, Argentina. 2. A total of 46 greater rhea chicks of 2 to 3 months of age were randomly arranged into three groups and the members of each group were sexed by a different operator. 3. A feather of each chick was plucked for sexing through a molecular method and results were used as controls. 4. Sex was correctly assigned by cloacal inspection in 98% of the cases. Chick manipulation was easily performed and no infections or traumatic lesions were observed a posteriori. 5. Cloacal sexing of rhea chicks up to 3 months of age does not affect animal welfare and should be considered an efficient alternative to molecular methods.a posteriori. 5. Cloacal sexing of rhea chicks up to 3 months of age does not affect animal welfare and should be considered an efficient alternative to molecular methods.