chick gender question ~ 10 hatchlings under hen!!

[HillCountryMomma]

Woo-hoo!!!

My broody Barred Rock hen has hatched out 10 beautiful little babies. They started pipping the 21st, and are still hatching today (the 23rd) is it normal for a hatch to be that staggered? There is still one completely in the egg, chirping like a mad thing but no pip yet. One hatched out just a matter of minutes ago. I know the hen 'collected' eggs from her fellow nest mates for a few days. So, I'm attributing the different hatch dates to the fact that not all the eggs were under her from day #1. Which leaves me a little worried about the other 5 eggs in the nest. All are dark and solid when candled. I'm worried they might be a few days behind the rest of the brood. I guess I need to get over to my friends house and borrow her incubator!

Anyway... these chicks are black sex links (Daddy is my big RIR roo). Thus far I have 8 pullets and 2 roos!! I am LOVING that ratio! Do roosters determine the gender of the chick like human males do? If so, Big Red (my roo) has a home for life! This is the third batch of babies he's sired. First was a small hatch in my home made incubator... 2 pullets 1 roo (gorgeous stocky RIR just like his Daddy, anyone in C. Texas need a flock sire?). Second was a small batch my friend hatched out. 3 pullets 2 roos. Third was the big bunch my Barred Rock hen hatched. So... for the season it's 13 pullets and 5 roos!!

I figure the one in the egg waiting to pip HAS to be a rooster. The odds can't stay in my favor this way much longer.

Liz

 

[Wildsky]

We want pic's!!!

My broody only has two babies, its the cuties thing watching mama teach them stuff.....

 

[lemurchaser]

In birds I believe the female determines the sex. In birds the female is XY and the male is XX. In humans it is the opposite. So in humans the female can only give an X or an X, the male can give and X or a Y chromosome, thus determining the sex of the baby. An X from each parent makes a girl, and X and a Y, is obviously a boy.

In birds the male can only give X's, the female can give X or Y chromosomes, so she must determine the sex.

Have fun with your babies and good luck with the late ones.