Basic chick sex question

[Kanga77510]

Is the sex of the chick determined at conception, much like human babies? Or is the sex of the chick influenced more by temperature like with crocodiles (warmer temps results in more males)?

 

[Happy Chooks]

From what I've read here, yes sex is determined at conception. I've also read that higher temps have a higher likelihood of killing female egg than males, thus resulting in higher male hatchings.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

If the sex could be determined by external factors then commercial hatcheries everywhere would be hatching a LOT less rooster chicks.

 

[Chickenmaven]

Quote:
THAT, I do not believe. It was POLAR in Michigan this summer & my broody hatched 3 hens and 8 roosters - awful!!!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
THAT, I do not believe. It was POLAR in Michigan this summer & my broody hatched 3 hens and 8 roosters - awful!!!

I should have clarified, internal EGG temperature. Again, just what I've read, I have no experience with it.

 

[firedove]

Quote:
THAT, I do not believe. It was POLAR in Michigan this summer & my broody hatched 3 hens and 8 roosters - awful!!!

Luck has a lot to do with ratios too. Since the sex is determined by the genetics, you just got a lot of roo eggs. I have also heard that high temps can kill off pullets in the egg. That said, we are talking high temp over a prolonged period or a quite high temp spike that raises the egg temp significantly. Temps still can't change what an egg is meant to be though. The female in chickens passes on the determining genes so even before an egg is fertilized it is either male or female.