Chicken Myths/Rumors: True or False, Please Share!

[Liz Birdlover]

Me too! I’ve had all good roosters so far!n

Ditto, I've got 11 Rooster Lover Boys, sweet as can be. They're SO huggable, so yes, they get daily hugs, & if I sit down they jump up to snuggle on my lap.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

Myth/rumor: chickens lay pink eggs
Story: some people say easter eggers lay pink eggs
True or false: false that pink color is a heavy bloom on a brown egg if rinsed you will see the true color under it

That makes sense...one of my Marans has a really pinkish Lavender bloom.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

I get those occasionally, but there is really no such thing as a purple egg.

I know...it's an optical illusion from the bloom, once rinsed off it's just a beautiful rich brown. Pretty cool when she 1st lays it, though!

 

[Jenessa_096]

E

I heard that.
Not true.
Shape of egg has no influence on gender.
I hatched out 10 perfectly round eggs, got 5 hens & 5 roosters.

Exactly! That’s what I was thinking ..

 

[troyer]

Myth/rumor: Round eggs hatch pullets.
Story: I have no idea where this idea originated.
True or false: true in my experience.
Evidence: when I regularly hatched out chicks I set round eggs and the batch was only (at most) 1/8 cockerels. There was definitely more than one variable so I really can't say for sure wether it's true or false. Lots of people swear by it though.

Most of the eggs that I hatch are slightly oblong round eggs, it's a breed characteristic. I get the normal 50% - 50% male to female ratio. I have noticed however, that the very early spring hatched batches versus the very late fall hatched batches seem to follow a pattern of more males hatched in the spring and more females hatched in the fall. There are always exceptions to the rule, but the tendency holds true. I am breeding chickens for 22 years now.

 

[neo71665]

In a way they are, if you have a nice coop and run, and have just a couple chickens. My 2 bunnies are more work than my 19 chickens .

Rabbits are a cakewalk, getcha a couple coons or squirrels.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

Myth true or false?

So...someone told me that you can tell male from female chicks hatched by checking wing feathers. The females will develop wing feathering 1st.

Well...I really have no idea, but I'm sure I will find out soon enough. I got 20 chicks 4 mos. ago that had very "mature wing feathers" as compared to their nest mates. I figure I probaby will end up with similar results like my "round egg" hatching...50/50

 

[3KillerBs]

Myth true or false?

So...someone told me that you can tell male from female chicks hatched by checking wing feathers. The females will develop wing feathering 1st.

Well...I really have no idea, but I'm sure I will find out soon enough. I got 20 chicks 4 mos. ago that had very "mature wing feathers" as compared to their nest mates. I figure I probaby will end up with similar results like my "round egg" hatching...50/50

There are sex-linked genes for fast and slow feathering but the chickens have to be specifically bred for it.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Most of the eggs that I hatch are slightly oblong round eggs, it's a breed characteristic. I get the normal 50% - 50% male to female ratio. I have noticed however, that the very early spring hatched batches versus the very late fall hatched batches seem to follow a pattern of more males hatched in the spring and more females hatched in the fall. There are always exceptions to the rule, but the tendency holds true. I am breeding chickens for 22 years now.

Wow! That now makes sense why my late season brooder, hatched 3 pullets and only 1 cockerel!

 

[Liz Birdlover]

Most of the eggs that I hatch are slightly oblong round eggs, it's a breed characteristic. I get the normal 50% - 50% male to female ratio. I have noticed however, that the very early spring hatched batches versus the very late fall hatched batches seem to follow a pattern of more males hatched in the spring and more females hatched in the fall. There are always exceptions to the rule, but the tendency holds true. I am breeding chickens for 22 years now.

Interesting! I'm hoping my late Aug. hatchlings are mostly female.