Do I have to buy credits or a kit first?
No. You register your birds and pay for exactly that many tests in one step. There is nothing to buy in advance.
How do I identify each bird?
You type a Bird ID of your choosing for each bird when you register: a leg band number, a name, a pen and color, anything you will recognize. Write that same ID on the bag and the paper inside. Results are reported against your Bird ID.
How many birds can I put in one order?
As many as you like. Orders of 29 or more tests are charged $7 per test instead of $8.
Can I add birds to an order after I have paid?
Place a second order for the extra birds. Each order is priced on its own, so the 29-test discount applies within a single order.
What kind of sample do you need?
A dried blood spot on a small piece of coffee filter, one per bird. We do not accept feathers, eggshell or wet samples. See the Collection & Mailing Instructions.
Does the test work on chicks?
Yes. The test reads DNA, so age, breed and color do not matter. Chickens only at this time.
How long does it take?
Results are usually released within 24 hours of your samples arriving. Mail time to us depends on your post office. You get an email the moment your batch is released.
How will I know when results are ready?
You get an email when your batch is released. Log in and open My Batches to see each result next to its Bird ID. You can also check the batch status there any time.
Can anyone else see my birds or results?
No. Batches and results are shown only to the account that registered them, and only after logging in.
What if a sample cannot be read?
We will email you about that bird. Clean, fully dried samples with a clear Bird ID almost always read the first time.
I forgot my password.
Use the “Forgot your password?” link on the Log In page and follow the emailed link.
How do I pay?
By credit or debit card at the end of the registration form. Payments are handled by Stripe; your card number never touches our site.
Do you test for anything besides sex?
Yes. You can add a lavender gene test ($14), recessive white gene test ($14), frizzle gene test ($12) or blue egg gene test ($12) to any bird when you register it, with or without sexing. The same blood spot covers every test. See Pricing for what each one reports.
Do you tell me if my bird is one-copy or two-copy lavender?
No. The lavender test reports carrier or non-carrier. A bird that looks lavender already has two copies, so only test birds that don’t look lavender.
My bird is white but came back C/C. Is the test wrong?
Probably not. Several different genes can make a bird white. This test only detects recessive white (c). A white bird with no copies of c is most likely white for another reason, such as dominant white.
My bird is clearly frizzled. Why would I test it?
To find out whether it has one copy or two. A two-copy (F/F) bird looks like an extreme frizzle and should never be bred to another frizzle; a one-copy bird is the normal breeding frizzle. Young birds can be hard to call by eye.
My hen lays green eggs. Do I need the blue egg test?
Only if you want to know whether she has one copy or two, or if you are testing her mate. Green eggs already prove she has at least one copy. The test is most useful for roosters, unlaid pullets, and confirming O/O breeders.
Something else? Email hello@hobbyhenfarms.com.