cockeral numbers vs pulletts

[KatyTheChickenLady]

not a meat bird subject, but maybe sort of . . .

here's my observation:

last year I bred a special hen to four different roos and kept ALL the chicks,
the earlist spring breedings produced more than 90% pulletts
the mid summer breeding were right at 50/50 pulletts & cockerals
the late summer/early fall breedings produced more than 90% cockerals

Coming on spring now the earlier pulletts are all laying strong already. The later ones are still too small and will be for awhile. However the later hatched cockerals are already breeding.

We can't blame it on the roos as in poultry it is the hen that determines the sex of the offspring. I'm thinking is this nature/survival??? More hens than roos sharing the scarce winter food & ready to lay as soon as late hatched males are ready to breed?

Anyone else noticed anything like this? maybe I'm just getting a little winter stir crazy. I'm relating this to meat birds wondering if there are more pulletts hatched in early spring when more folks are wanting cockerals . . . if you order straight run early on are you more likely to get female?

 

[Illia]

Interesting! I've never done that before, but, it's a really interesting thing to think of. . .

 

[Klutzy]

Fascinating! I've never seen this mentioned before. Maybe you could ask a hatchery owner. But I don't understand why your middle pullets aren't laying, 6 months is usually plenty old enough. Maybe next week, mine started up again this past week but you're a little farther north. What kind of chicken is your special hen?

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

they are Ameraucana and very serious about that 30 week mark.
the middle ones are laying now though. jus tno tthe late ones.

 

[Duker17]

Last year in early March I bought 8 straight run chicks from the feed store, only one ended up being a rooster. Your theory would support those numbers.

Darn, I thought I was just a talented pullet picker