Hatching Eggs the Scientific Way!

LOL I can believe you didnt eggtopsy, it was hard the first time I did it with a fully developed, but then it just was interesting, like "Bones" he he he. love that show! Did you feather or vent sex?

cchardwick said:

Nope, didn't have the heart to break them open, I'm such a softie! Here's the pic of the chicks, notice the black spot on the head of some of them and not on others. I have a guy who is buying these ten along with the next 30 that hatch, so I doubt I'll be able to track them to adults. I'm thinking I should get another couple brooders and have another hatch in the spring that I grow up myself and separate the chicks with the black spot on the head from the ones without the black spot to see if this is a sex linked trait. If so it would really help sorting my chicks when they hatch!

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What breed of chicken? Some can be sexed by feathers and are not a "sex linked" breed.

Iirc, New Hampshires and Silver Dorkings are this way. Maybe a few others.

Steemroo said:

What breed of chicken? Some can be sexed by feathers and are not a "sex linked" breed.

Iirc, New Hampshires and Silver Dorkings are this way. Maybe a few others.

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From what I've read its a bread trait from the parents for both feather sexing and sex-links. They only work first generation. I dont know the details for sex-links, but for feather sexing you need to breed a fast feathering rooster with a slow feathering hen, The roo's pass the gene to the females, so any baby's that feather out fast will be female.

Again, its only from what I have researched. I haven't done it myself.

Right, sex-linked chickens work that way. Some are different in color by sex, some have slow vs fast growing wing feathers, again by sex.

Those are always hybrids. Also the slow-growing feather gene is thought by some to cause problems (may lead to lower egg production, slower growth), so it's not loved by everyone.

But beyond the hybrids, there are a few heritage chicken breeds that you can sex by sight upon hatching.

Silver dorkings and New Hampshirs, iirc. They aren't hybrids. For some reason, males in these breeds have a slightly different color or look. It can be very subtle in the New Hampshires (again, iirc - if I remember correctly).

With these breeds the sex-determination thing goes on and on, generation to generation. Or so some credible articles I read last month said. I've never raised them but want to try Dorkings one day, when I have more room.

If you try Googling ... what key term. "sexing chicks of heritage breeds" - something like that - you might find what I read. I didn't mark the site but will post it if I can find it.