Hatching female chicks method

[rbc-bow-chicka]

Yes I agree mak. I have to think there's at least a couple techniques out there for hatching female chicks. Does anybody else have anymore ideas/results?

Hi. So I came here looking for this type if info and I did an experimental batch that hatched last Wednesday. And I figured you might be interested in my results...even if I am long winded with the tale.

I set 14 eggs from my ISA browns that were fertilized by my rooster who I am guessing is an Amber Link. I specifically chose rounder tipped eggs. I put them in my fridge for 5 days, bumping up my temp to about 38 degrees.

On the 6th day, I took them out to come to room temp. I realized that one egg had a crack, so I hastily grabbed a replacement rounded egg and stuck that in the fridge for a few hours. I marked that one. It was also a week fresher.

While they were in the fridge, I brought out my 2 7 egg brinseas. One always ran 'faster' than the other, so I went through the calibration procedure. Changed the batts on my little humistats I put in there and set the temp where I wanted. The default for the incubators is 99.6. From what I read 1/2 a degree to 1 degree less will offer the best chance of females. So I went with 98.9.

I cannot recall what I set the daily cooling period to, unfortunately.

So 2/8/23 at 7 pm I set the eggs. On 3/1/23 I had the first pip around 8 am. By noon, I had a massive chick out... which what looked like a rather developed 'chick comb.' That was the freshest egg. So I figured.... okay-- that's a boy.

The 'faster' incubator was still 'faster' by the way. Lol. Final tally was 5 of the 7 eggs hatching in each incubator, so 10 total. The 4 that did not hatch felt heavy, but I did not open them.

I checked wing feathers (because why not)...and all of them, including my 'big first chick' had staggered feathers on the wing... indicating 'female.'

I will insert the disclaimer here.... that wing sexing and I do not get along.

So yesterday- 3/4/23, I started to notice little tail feathers on 3 of them. And then a couple of others today. I have moved them out to the brooder in the coop, but I will be watching them like a mother hawk.... as it has been my experience that little tail feathers early is a female thing. The only time this was not the case was with my brahmas.

So that's where I am at.

My neighbor gave me some eggs to hatch and they are all pointy. I have out them in the fridge, but really cannot go more than a couple of days because of the freshness of the eggs to begin with. I will be putting those in on Wed the 8th.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Hi. So I came here looking for this type if info and I did an experimental batch that hatched last Wednesday. And I figured you might be interested in my results...even if I am long winded with the tale.

I set 14 eggs from my ISA browns that were fertilized by my rooster who I am guessing is an Amber Link. I specifically chose rounder tipped eggs. I put them in my fridge for 5 days, bumping up my temp to about 38 degrees.

On the 6th day, I took them out to come to room temp. I realized that one egg had a crack, so I hastily grabbed a replacement rounded egg and stuck that in the fridge for a few hours. I marked that one. It was also a week fresher.

While they were in the fridge, I brought out my 2 7 egg brinseas. One always ran 'faster' than the other, so I went through the calibration procedure. Changed the batts on my little humistats I put in there and set the temp where I wanted. The default for the incubators is 99.6. From what I read 1/2 a degree to 1 degree less will offer the best chance of females. So I went with 98.9.

I cannot recall what I set the daily cooling period to, unfortunately.

So 2/8/23 at 7 pm I set the eggs. On 3/1/23 I had the first pip around 8 am. By noon, I had a massive chick out... which what looked like a rather developed 'chick comb.' That was the freshest egg. So I figured.... okay-- that's a boy.

The 'faster' incubator was still 'faster' by the way. Lol. Final tally was 5 of the 7 eggs hatching in each incubator, so 10 total. The 4 that did not hatch felt heavy, but I did not open them.

I checked wing feathers (because why not)...and all of them, including my 'big first chick' had staggered feathers on the wing... indicating 'female.'

I will insert the disclaimer here.... that wing sexing and I do not get along.

So yesterday- 3/4/23, I started to notice little tail feathers on 3 of them. And then a couple of others today. I have moved them out to the brooder in the coop, but I will be watching them like a mother hawk.... as it has been my experience that little tail feathers early is a female thing. The only time this was not the case was with my brahmas.

So that's where I am at.

My neighbor gave me some eggs to hatch and they are all pointy. I have out them in the fridge, but really cannot go more than a couple of days because of the freshness of the eggs to begin with. I will be putting those in on Wed the 8th.

Feather sexing only works of the mother and father each had the right feather genes

 

[rbc-bow-chicka]

Feather sexing only works of the mother and father each had the right feather genes

That could def explain why feather sexing and I do not get along at all.

 

[gimmie birdies]

My question for people who candle a lot, do you get more females?

 

[gimmie birdies]

One of my recent hatches I had, were shipped eggs during a very cold month. 11/14 hatched, and 8/11 were female.

 

[gimmie birdies]

My current eggs set are from a store fridge. I will report when I can how many are male/female.
I am on day 6.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I candle a lot days 1-5 or so. I think it is fine. After day 5 leave alone until day ten, or day 18.

 

[Berns]

Experimentation is how Cavemen discovered that Mastodon meat puts pep-in-your-step so never be afraid to experiment because that is how we learn new things. In other words the bravest man in the history of the world was not the dude who ate the first oyster-on-the-half-shell but rather the Red Neck like myself who first conked a living breathing Mastodon on the noggin.

I would like to know how low of a temperature and for how long you intend on exposing you precursor female eggs to before you pop them in the incubator. Be sure to keep us informed every few days.

Somehow I was of the belief that as soon as the eggs go cold, you’ve lost that opportunity to hatch... so putting in the fridge for a few days... is it possible that they would hatch?

 

[sourland]

Somehow I was of the belief that as soon as the eggs go cold, you’ve lost that opportunity to hatch... so putting in the fridge for a few days... is it possible that they would hatch?

Absolutely they can hatch.

 

[rbc-bow-chicka]

Somehow I was of the belief that as soon as the eggs go cold, you’ve lost that opportunity to hatch... so putting in the fridge for a few days... is it possible that they would hatch?

I put my eggs in the fridge for 5 days, taking them out on the 6th to come to room temp to go into the incubator. Out of 14 eggs, 10 hatched and 4 did not. The 4 that did not, seemed to feel heavy and definitely showed that there was a chick in there as I candled just a couple of days before hatch. I did not do a post mortem.