Sexing eggs!

[lazy gardener]

That looks like a nice selection of eggs for this experiment.

 

[Guyswithchicks]

That looks like a nice selection of eggs for this experiment.

Thanks LG.... The hen has taken to the eggs nicely after thinking about it for 24 hours

.
The second lot of chicks have started to hatch under a first time broody. She had proven to be clumsy.... Two chicks squashed in shells and one injured. 4 pipped eggs removed and incubator fired up. A further 3 unpipped eggs. We'll ll see how they go. But this broody will be on the cull list.

 

[lazy gardener]

I had one broody who was in love with the idea of being broody. She sat on eggs just fine. But, I gave her some pipping eggs, and she decided she was all done with the Mom thing when the first one hatched. She abandoned the poor little chick, left it cold and laying on it's back, screaming. There was an other pipper that was half stripped of shell, leaving membrane intact. Happy to sit on quiet little eggs, golf balls and feet, but, "No screaming kids for me. Nope... not gonna do it!!!" I brought the eggs in and finished them in the bator, kicked her out of the coop. Unfortunately, she looked exactly like her 2 "sisters" so, I couldn't figure out which one she was to cull her. A "sister" went on to successfully set eggs and brood her chicks several months later (unless it was the same gal.)

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I like numbered and colored legbands on them to tell birds apart that all look the same.

http://www.strombergschickens.com/prod_detail_list/numbered-plastic-bands

These are good if you only have a few birds

http://www.strombergschickens.com/prod_detail_list/spiral-bands

I have a lot and use the numbered ones color coded for the year of hatch. I can tell the age of the bird by the bandette color. I use the same color code as used for honeybee queens. Queens are marked white, yellow, red and blue. I use white, yellow, orange and blue for chickens. 2015 hatched birds are blue. 2014 are orange. 2916 will be white.

 

[lazy gardener]

Projecting a bit far into the future???

 

[redsix]

I like numbered and colored legbands on them to tell birds apart that all look the same.

http://www.strombergschickens.com/prod_detail_list/numbered-plastic-bands

These are good if you only have a few birds

http://www.strombergschickens.com/prod_detail_list/spiral-bands

I have a lot and use the numbered ones color coded for the year of hatch. I can tell the age of the bird by the bandette color. I use the same color code as used for honeybee queens. Queens are marked white, yellow, red and blue. I use white, yellow, orange and blue for chickens. 2015 hatched birds are blue. 2014 are orange. 2916 will be white.

Would Orphingtons and Australorps need size 11?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Hens would probably need a 9.
For just a few birds, if they're adults, colored zip ties would be just as effective.

 

[6 littleHens]

Wow, great thread! Wish I had seen in the beginning. So I couldnt read all pages but am assuming since thread still going that this experiment has had positive results?

 

[Guyswithchicks]

Wow, great thread! Wish I had seen in the beginning. So I couldnt read all pages but am assuming since thread still going that this experiment has had positive results?

I'm not sure about others but I'll know in about six weeks or so once I can sex the chicks and do a comparison. There are some studies done scientifically but none in real depth that I can find. I think so much of the evidence is anecdotal which is why there are mixed views on this.
It appears that shape index is just one factor that may indicate or suggest whether or not an egg has an increased chance of having female foetus developing.
I'm not a scientist but I have read the research such as it is, and because I have the time and the resources, I'm going to give it a go. 17 chicks have hatched so far this week under two broodies from randomly selected eggs. A further two broodies are due to hatch any day, once again sitting on randomly selected eggs.
A further three broodies are currently sitting on eggs that I have selected by eye alone in comparison to other eggs.
I didn't measure these eggs in accordance with the research but I will for the next couple of settings.
Let's see what happens.

 

[lazy gardener]

Wow, great thread! Wish I had seen in the beginning. So I couldnt read all pages but am assuming since thread still going that this experiment has had positive results?

I started experimenting with this this spring, and have completed 3 hatches. My pullet % increased from 40% to 60%. You can read about my results and method in the following thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/958517/nutrition-and-gender-and-inducing-broodiness. Since I'm using my own eggs, and eating or selling all of the eggs that aren't the right shape, I have nothing to lose, and everything to gain by experimenting. Will continue in the spring.