Can anyone sex chicks by egg shape??

[DRGLENNON]

My BR lays eggs that are almost round 4 out of 6 pullets. EE lays pointy eggs and hers were an even 50/50.

 

[Birdmanfrom]

Old wives (or farmers') tale. If it was true, then, case in point: my late BR hen, Lexie, would lay completely oval eggs so you could rarely tell which end had the air cell. By that rule, she should have produced all pullets, but in fact, produced about 90% male chicks. Myth busted. It's just not true.

Interesting!!

 

[Birdmanfrom]

Quote:
Funny guy!!

 

[lazy gardener]

Interesting study. Interesting topic. My opinion: Old wive's tale, based on the fact that some of my birds always lay pointy eggs, while others typically lay rounded eggs. However, when I set eggs next month, if I have some colored markers handy, and am feeling like taking the time to analyze shape, I may just divide those eggs into groups: pointy on the left, round on the right! At least this would be a no brainer to figure out immediately after hatch with the sex link eggs. Sounds like fodder for a discrimination law suit!

 

[lazy gardener]

So, after mulling all night over this study, I decided to do my own study. The plan is to collect a week's worth of eggs, and divide them into skinny/pointy and fat/round groups. I'll also do some weights. Then, I'll eat/sell them. Then, I'll add ACV to the water for a week or two, giving them free choice between ACV and plain water. Then, I'll collect an other week's worth of eggs, and separate them into 2 groups, again, getting some weights. The round/fat eggs and the smaller ones which are not so round will go into the bator. Hopefully, there will be enough to fill it up. If there aren't, I'll fill the rest of the way with eggs from the skinny/pointy batch, again, favoring the smaller ones. Before these eggs are set, I'll of course mark them, and divide the groups according to shape. I'll also dip 1/2 of them in a weak Ascorbic acid solution. Too many variables, you bet! But, if I'm stacking the deck with "stuff that is supposed to work", I might as well stack it all the way. Perhaps they'll all be born wearing little pink tights and capes, with a big pink S emblazoned on their chests.

 

[frg34]

RE: my hen lays pointy eggs or oval eggs.
I think the key is to collect eggs by each hen and then study that hen's eggs for small differences in shapes. I have hens that lay pointy and oval but they definitely are not identical from day to day.

 

[AmericanMom]

I remember commenting on this topic on another thread, I have tried the Pointy/ Round test and to my knowledge its was bunk.

I have two EE's that lay blue eggs, last year I wanted to hatch some to get pullets that might lay me some nice pretty green eggs, all in all I think I got three pullets out of all that I set. I had a customer wanting me to hatch EE chicks for her, between her and her mother they bought around 30 EE chicks, I just talked to her last week and she said out of all of those they got 6 pullets!!! Hatched out 7 EE eggs for myself before the girls went into molt in October...everyone a cockerel

So I am giving them one more year, both out of molt, both laying again and I have 8 in the bator on day 4.. If these numbers are not good I wont incubate or sell their eggs anymore.. I can understand a 50/50 hatch rate but when they are so uneven as to get none or very few pullets out of so many purchased it makes me feel guilty for even trying to sell the chicks.

I commented in the other thread that maybe since its the hen that determines the sex if something in her body doesn't trigger the need for more roosters?? I have 52 pullets (almost in lay) and layers and 2 rooster and 1-5 month old cockerel

 

[lazy gardener]

AM, I also found that 2 years running, the percentages of EE chicks were highly skewed to favor males. The only EE gals that did hatch, were BSL EE x PBR, and EE x RIR. But taking into account the entirety of last year's hatch, all of which was covered by a friend's EE roo, my hatch was about 40% pullets. This year, I have an EE roo, and he'll be covering all of my hens. So, I may be doomed right from the start! I hadn't even considered that until you mentioned it! Thanks....

 

[JJSS89]

If eggs could be reliably sexed then egg factories wouldn't bother hatching billions of cockerels to grind up as babies and feed back to the mothers

 

[AmericanMom]

AM, I also found that 2 years running, the percentages of EE chicks were highly skewed to favor males. The only EE gals that did hatch, were BSL EE x PBR, and EE x RIR. But taking into account the entirety of last year's hatch, all of which was covered by a friend's EE roo, my hatch was about 40% pullets. This year, I have an EE roo, and he'll be covering all of my hens. So, I may be doomed right from the start! I hadn't even considered that until you mentioned it! Thanks....

Well our EE gals wont have any other Rooster but the Blue Orp and I love him for his disposition, color and size... Funny because I have a good rate of Pullets from other birds covered by him...
I have his son (EE/Blue Orp Roo) covering some other hens so it will be interesting to see what we come up with.