Does Zoogen accept feathers for sexing? Are the results as accurate as for blood?
Zoogen is now accepting feathers, blood, and eggshells (from new hatchlings) for sexing. All sources give equally accurate results since DNA is the same regardless of the tissue from which it is extracted. For adult birds, we prefer blood since the sample quality and DNA yield can be quite variable with feathers. This is why we recommend you submit multiple (plucked) feathers from each bird. Since the bird must be restrained anyway, we recommend blood whenever possible. Only a single drop of blood is needed.
