Sample Collection & Shipping Instructions

Follow these instructions to collect your sample, then review the rules and shipping info below.

How to Take a Liquid Blood Sample (PCR Tube)

What you’ll need

  • Toenail clippers
  • Alcohol wipes or rubbing alcohol
  • Styptic powder
  • Disposable gloves
  • One 0.2 mL PCR tube per bird (search “0.2 mL PCR tubes” on Amazon)
  • One small zip-lock bag per bird

Step by step

  1. Set up. Clean, well-lit area with everything within reach.
  2. Sterilize. Gloves on. Wipe clippers with alcohol.
  3. Pick a toenail. Smaller, thinner toenails work best.
  4. Calm the bird. Hold gently but securely. A helper is recommended.
  5. Clip just below the quick.
  6. Collect into the tube. Hold the open end of the PCR tube up to the toe. Let several drops fall in. You can gently rub downward on the toe to keep blood flowing. A few good drops is plenty.
  7. Stop the bleeding. Styptic powder, then hold pressure for a minute or two.
  8. Seal the tube. Snap the lid closed tightly.
  9. Bag and label. One tube per zip-lock bag, labeled with the Bird ID.
Sending it inPlace bagged tubes in a padded envelope or small box (thin envelopes can crack the tubes). Write your order number on the outside. Do not tape the envelope shut. Ship the same day you collect.
Do NOT overfill the tube. A few drops is all we need.
OK
A few visible drops in the bottom of the 0.2 mL PCR tube. Even a smear on the inside wall is enough.
Do NOT
Fill the tube full, half full, or anywhere close. A large volume of liquid blood will decompose in transit and the sample will be unusable.
We only need a tiny amount of DNA. More blood does NOT give a better result — it gives a rotted sample.
PCR tube specific rules
  • Use 0.2 mL PCR tubes only. Not 1.5 mL microcentrifuge tubes, not vials, not straws, not pipette tips.
  • No additives. Do not add water, saline, alcohol, EDTA, or any anticoagulant. Fresh blood straight from the toe, nothing else.
  • Snap the lid FULLY closed. A partially closed lid will pop open in the mail and leak.
  • Keep it cool if you can. Room temperature is fine short term, but do not leave the tube in a hot car or in direct sun before shipping.
  • Ship the SAME day you collect. Liquid blood degrades fast. If you cannot ship the same day, use Blood on Paper instead.
Rules that apply to every sample type
  • Do NOT tape your envelopes shut. We have to open them. Tape tears the envelope and can damage the samples inside.
  • Write your order number on the OUTSIDE of your envelope or package. You do not need to use the QR code — the order number by itself is enough. This is the single best way to prevent your order from being delayed or mixed up.
  • One bird per bag. Each bird gets its own labeled zip-lock bag with its Bird ID exactly as you entered it on the website. Do not combine birds, even siblings from the same hatch.
  • Do not reuse Bird IDs for multiple birds in the same order.
Time sensitive Liquid blood samples must be collected and received at the lab within 7 days. Please collect the sample and ship it the same day. If you cannot ship the same day, use Blood on Paper instead.
Ship all samples to:
The Silkie Lab
740 Shaw Road
Bailey, MI 49303
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