Another year full of cockerels....

[Matilda Belle]

I'm just tired of it. I spent $10 on each chick and there were six of them. That is one expensive $60 hen!

 

[igorsMistress]

I wonder if anyone has done studies to see if there are variable factors that might influence chick sex. Thinking about things like ph, small variations in temperature, season, even phase of the moon.

I've read egg shape, temperature the first 5 days of incubation, use a ring on a string before you set them...there are so many things people say work

Ironically I was reading not too long ago that the egg industry is working on a test, dna I think?, for the egg stage to find out sex so they don't have to deal with the backlash from how they deal with the baby cockerels.

 

[Hobbits Mommie]

I'm just tired of it. I spent $10 on each chick and there were six of them. That is one expensive $60 hen!

Were they supposed to be sexed? Tractor Supply sells them for sexed for just a few dollars...

 

[Matilda Belle]

I wonder if the temperament of the flock's owner has any determination of chick gender.

 

[Matilda Belle]

Were they supposed to be sexed? Tractor Supply sells them for sexed for just a few dollars...

I have silkies so they can't be sexed without a DNA test.

 

[Hobbits Mommie]

I wonder if the temperament of the flock's owner has any determination of chick gender.

 

[Kris5902]

I’m also part of the boys club! Since my first dismal hatch with a 28% hatch rate which at least had a 50/50 gender split I’ve bought straight run chicks at 70% cockerel 4/14 and my last hatch was also skewed heavily to boys granted they keep running around so quickly it’s hard to get a good count, but definitely over 50%boys! There’s a bunch I’m looking at going “please be a girl, your comb is just a *little* pink...” lol, my excess boys will be becoming dinners if they aren’t chunky enough for selling I already have too many Roosters I need to keep from my first hatch! (Genetic diversity and breeding purposes)

 

[Matilda Belle]

Maybe I'd feel differently if I actually ate my roosters. I can't eat my pets, so I give them away to be eaten most of the time. Sometimes I can find people to take them as pets, but rarely.

 

[Cyprus]

From what I've read and experienced gender is determined by the hen. Studies have shown that embryos stored at around 40°F will die more often if they are male. At day 4 of incubation, gender is determined.

 

[Matilda Belle]

One week they have that sweet little twinkle in their eye resembling a pullet, and the next they have full waddles and comb.