Dna sexing

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Rob
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Hi. Can I please be educated on which feather to pluck and how to do it without hurting the bird? Can I simply use a feather that has naturally fallen off the bird?
Does Murdoch university still do the testing in WA and does anybody have a contact there for this please. Thanks
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finchbreeder
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Which feather? I would think anyone. Do Murdoch still do it? I believe so. Who to contact? The School of Vetinary Science.
LML
LML
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BrettB
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Hello Rob, It is important not to contaminate the feathers, so I pluck a couple of tail feathers and place them in a zip lock plastic bag.
Make sure you write the details of the bird on the bag.

This is the flyer they send out

"Curtin University Avian DNA Sexing Service.

The School of Biomedical Sciences at Curtin University uses DNA technology to establish the sex of birds with greater than 99% accuracy. We have over ten years experience in the area of DNA sexing. We also have the exclusive Australian/NZ license for the Avian DNA sexing technology covered by Australian Patent AU199659069B2 issued to ISIS Innovation Limited (UK).

The advantages of this method for sexing birds include:

- No surgery is required.
- Stress free for the bird and owner.
- Birds can be tested at any age.
- Accuracy determined from over 10,000 tests performed using this method.
- Works on most species.
- Inexpensive.
- Moneys go to support research by Australian students


Procedure for feather Collection

We perform the DNA sexing on the shaft of the feather (pin). Therefore the feather needs the shaft intact and you must avoid contaminating it with your own DNA so avoid handling the shaft. Please carefully follow the instructions below on how to collect feather samples:
(1) Pluck two feathers (3-5cm in length) small birds such as finches (3-4 feathers) or 8-10 (downy feathers in very young birds). Be careful not to touch the ‘pin’ of the feather with your fingers.
(2) Place the feathers in either a zip lock plastic bag or a new paper envelope.
(3) Using a pencil or biro, write the bird’s name and/or ring number and the species of the bird on the outside. Fill-in the submission form (if you have one).
(4) Place the samples bags into an envelope and return with cheque or money order made payable to “Curtin University” to:

C/O Dr David Groth
School of Biomedical Sciences
Curtin University
GPO Box U1987
Perth WA 6845

We do not recommend DNA sexing of eggs unless followed by sexing of the young bird as egg sexing has been shown to be unreliable (Arnold, Orr and Griffiths, Molecular Ecology, 12, 3451-3458).

Contacts : Dr David Groth, Phone (mobile) 0417 915837 (Phone work) (08) 92667475 or (08) 92667374, (fax) (08) 92662342 "

Cheers
Brett
"We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are ." Anais Nin
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Rob
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Posts: 158
Joined: 20 Feb 2016, 22:44
Location: Perth

BrettB wrote: 23 May 2020, 15:35 Hello Rob, It is important not to contaminate the feathers, so I pluck a couple of tail feathers and place them in a zip lock plastic bag.
Make sure you write the details of the bird on the bag.

This is the flyer they send out

"Curtin University Avian DNA Sexing Service.

The School of Biomedical Sciences at Curtin University uses DNA technology to establish the sex of birds with greater than 99% accuracy. We have over ten years experience in the area of DNA sexing. We also have the exclusive Australian/NZ license for the Avian DNA sexing technology covered by Australian Patent AU199659069B2 issued to ISIS Innovation Limited (UK).

The advantages of this method for sexing birds include:

- No surgery is required.
- Stress free for the bird and owner.
- Birds can be tested at any age.
- Accuracy determined from over 10,000 tests performed using this method.
- Works on most species.
- Inexpensive.
- Moneys go to support research by Australian students


Procedure for feather Collection

We perform the DNA sexing on the shaft of the feather (pin). Therefore the feather needs the shaft intact and you must avoid contaminating it with your own DNA so avoid handling the shaft. Please carefully follow the instructions below on how to collect feather samples:
(1) Pluck two feathers (3-5cm in length) small birds such as finches (3-4 feathers) or 8-10 (downy feathers in very young birds). Be careful not to touch the ‘pin’ of the feather with your fingers.
(2) Place the feathers in either a zip lock plastic bag or a new paper envelope.
(3) Using a pencil or biro, write the bird’s name and/or ring number and the species of the bird on the outside. Fill-in the submission form (if you have one).
(4) Place the samples bags into an envelope and return with cheque or money order made payable to “Curtin University” to:

C/O Dr David Groth
School of Biomedical Sciences
Curtin University
GPO Box U1987
Perth WA 6845

We do not recommend DNA sexing of eggs unless followed by sexing of the young bird as egg sexing has been shown to be unreliable (Arnold, Orr and Griffiths, Molecular Ecology, 12, 3451-3458).

Contacts : Dr David Groth, Phone (mobile) 0417 915837 (Phone work) (08) 92667475 or (08) 92667374, (fax) (08) 92662342 "

Cheers
Brett
Thanks mate. How much do they charge for this normally? I plucked 3 feathers easily enough from the tail so I'll make contact with them and send them off. I thought it would be a bit harder and worried about hurting the bird.
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