Comparison of dried blood spot, buccal swab, cloacal swab and feces as DNA sources to identify avian sexes by PCR

Abstract

Absence of sexual dimorphism makes it difficult to determine bird’s sex. A number of both invasive and noninvasive methods as a DNA template of sampling for avian sexing can be used. The aim of this study was to compare
the efficacy of different sources of DNA for avian sexing by PCR. Samples were collected from dried blood spots, buccal
swabs, cloacal swabs and feces. The highest success rate for sexing determination was from the dried blood spots,
accounting for 100%, while those from the buccal swabs, cloacal swabs and feces were 74%, 75.47% and 29.17%,
respectively. The non-urate fecal samples gave better results than the urate fecal samples, accounting for 50% and
18.75% success rates, respectively. The difference in the success rates of the method using buccal swabs and that using
cloacal swabs was not statistically significant; moreover, both methods are non-invasive. In conclusion, the noninvasive method using buccal or cloacal swabs might be the choice of sources of DNA template for avian sexing by
PCR.