Do Roosters determine the sex of the chick?

[KC Rob]

I was curious, does the male determine the sex of the offspring, as in humans? I ask because I am hatching my 3rd set of eggs from my Rhode Island Red Roo and for the third time I am having a very high ratio of pullets to cockerels. The first hatch was the Rhode Island crossed with my barred rock hens to make a black sex link and I hatched 9 eggs, 6 pullets and 3 cockerels. Flushed with success, I did it again and this time hatched 11 eggs, 9 pullets (!) and 2 cockerels. My third hatch is 13 eggs, this time the Red crossed with my Silver Laced Wyandottes to make a red sex link, and it is still early, but so far 4 chicks have hatched and 3 are pullets. I may be counting my chicks before they hatch (yeah, I just said that) but in the early going it looks like I am set to have another pullet heavy hatch. I am wondering if I have a magic rooster that produces females at a much higher rate!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I was curious, does the male determine the sex of the offspring, as in humans? I ask because I am hatching my 3rd set of eggs from my Rhode Island Red Roo and for the third time I am having a very high ratio of pullets to cockerels. The first hatch was the Rhode Island crossed with my barred rock hens to make a black sex link and I hatched 9 eggs, 6 pullets and 3 cockerels. Flushed with success, I did it again and this time hatched 11 eggs, 9 pullets (!) and 2 cockerels. My third hatch is 13 eggs, this time the Red crossed with my Silver Laced Wyandottes to make a red sex link, and it is still early, but so far 4 chicks have hatched and 3 are pullets. I may be counting my chicks before they hatch (yeah, I just said that) but in the early going it looks like I am set to have another pullet heavy hatch. I am wondering if I have a magic rooster that produces females at a much higher rate!

No the hens determine the sex in chickens. So you can thank your girls!

 

[KC Rob]

Well, my girls are doing a great job then!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Well, my girls are doing a great job then!

LOL

Have them come talk to my girls!

 

[lazy gardener]

I was curious, does the male determine the sex of the offspring, as in humans? I ask because I am hatching my 3rd set of eggs from my Rhode Island Red Roo and for the third time I am having a very high ratio of pullets to cockerels. The first hatch was the Rhode Island crossed with my barred rock hens to make a black sex link and I hatched 9 eggs, 6 pullets and 3 cockerels. Flushed with success, I did it again and this time hatched 11 eggs, 9 pullets (!) and 2 cockerels. My third hatch is 13 eggs, this time the Red crossed with my Silver Laced Wyandottes to make a red sex link, and it is still early, but so far 4 chicks have hatched and 3 are pullets. I may be counting my chicks before they hatch (yeah, I just said that) but in the early going it looks like I am set to have another pullet heavy hatch. I am wondering if I have a magic rooster that produces females at a much higher rate!

What ever is in your water, perhaps you could bottle it and sell it! You'll need a catchy name for it, like "pullet maker"... or something!

 

[KC Rob]

5th chick has hatched and it looks like it is another girl! I can't be sure until she fluffs out, but she is definitely darker than the pale yellow cockerel that hatched earlier. We are at 4 to 1 in favor of the pullets! My wife reminded me though, in our past couple hatches, the boys came on strong later in the hatch, the girls came out first.

 

[KC Rob]

3 more eggs hatched over night, 2 boys and 1 girl so I am up to 5-3 in favor of the pullets. The boys are starting to catch up. I have 3 more eggs that have pipped (one is zipping) and 2 eggs that aren't doing anything yet so I have a little ways to go before the final tally.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

3 more eggs hatched over night, 2 boys and 1 girl so I am up to 5-3 in favor of the pullets. The boys are starting to catch up. I have 3 more eggs that have pipped (one is zipping) and 2 eggs that aren't doing anything yet so I have a little ways to go before the final tally.

I am tempted to change my avatar to iron man just for when I comment in here......

 

[ChickNanny13]

Have you heard of the 'experiment' going on to determine from the shape of the eggs, determining pullet or cockerel, "Sexing Eggs".

I've been following it & with your HENS you may want to check it out, maybe fun. Comparing eggs from a single hen....Rounder eggs = Pullets Pointer eggs = Cockerel not as a group.

What would be interesting is if the pullets from your "pullet producing hens" also produce majority pullets, you're in BUSINESS! I'm sure your fertile eggs/chicks could/would be a SELLING item Enjoy your HENS!