9 out of 12 aint bad!

[mylilfarm2659]

I'm so excited! A week ago I put my very first set of eggs in my new incubator and when I candled them last night I found that 9 out of 12 are alive and growing! What a wonder that God made it so we can watch such an amazing thing! Does anyone know a trick to knowing how to sex the chicks?

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Not so bad at all!

I'm not doing as well at 7\12, but this is just a small test hatch for me

What breeds will you be hatching? Some are harder to sex than other

Good luck, happy hatching!

 

[mylilfarm2659]

I'm not even sure of breed lol! I know I have some rhode island reds and another reddish hen. I have green eggs, white eggs and brown eggs and that is about all I know. Not sure how to figure out what breeds they are. I'm finding this whole process a lot more detailed than what I thought it would be and each person tells me different things! Hard to know whose advise to follow...

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

It sounds like you've got a Heinz 57, or good 'ol barnyard mix

That's the very first thing I hatched in my incubator!

Everyone seems to do things a little differently. But, if it works, it works. And what works for me, may not work for you. For example, our breeds are vastly different. It sounds like you've got a good mix of production type breeds, I raise an ornamental breed. Your birds are likely fast growers, mine are slow. You'll likely be looking for combs and wattles that are larger or redder (for cockerels), saddle (at the base of the tail) and hackle (neck) feathers that are long and stringy (hens will be short and round), redder patches on wings and back (girls tend to show red in the breast and head area) and obvious signs such as crowing or squatting.
Google chicken pictures and look at the differences between juvenile and adult birds of different breeds, those things I mentioned above will become a little more familiar to you and they'll stick out like a sore thumb when you start studying your chicks. Good luck!

 

[mylilfarm2659]

Thanks so much for the info, I appreciate you taking the time to give me hints and direction. I know I've done a lot wrong this time, but we will see what happens. For instance...I washed my eggs, my humidity has been up and down a lot and I marked my eggs with sharpie instead of pencil not realizing just how porous they are. I'm learning as I go and know I'll get it down eventually.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Well, if it makes you feel any better, alot of people float their eggs in water if they're not sure if they're going to hatch. And, I mark all of my eggs with a sharpie because pencil has a tendency to rub off.
All you can do is learn from your mistakes, it'll make you a better momma hen

 

[mylilfarm2659]

Aww, thanks! That does make me feel better. Maybe mine will turn out okay after all!

 

[mylilfarm2659]

Aww, thanks! That does make me feel better. Maybe mine will turn out okay after all!

 

[lazy gardener]

RIR can be feather sexed at hatch. do a thread search on the topic.

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

Thanks so much for the info, I appreciate you taking the time to give me hints and direction. I know I've done a lot wrong this time, but we will see what happens. For instance...I washed my eggs, my humidity has been up and down a lot and I marked my eggs with sharpie instead of pencil not realizing just how porous they are. I'm learning as I go and know I'll get it down eventually.

I have always used sharpie and haven't any issues. Even some 100% hatches from shipped eggs so I don't think personally it does any damage.

And there is another way you can sex RIR message me if you want to know because it generally starts an argument with others in open forum.