Does incubation temperature determine gender of chicks?

[CGilbert]

I read a study that suggested that the higher the temperature, the more males would hatch. The lower temps, more females would hatch. It had to do with mortality rates not the eggs changing genders. If an egg is born a female, it stays a female. If an egg is born male, it stays male. If you have your temp around 105, you will get more males that hatch (and more females that don't), and vice versa.

 

[DrTacosMD]

I read a study that suggested that the higher the temperature, the more males would hatch. The lower temps, more females would hatch. It had to do with mortality rates not the eggs changing genders. If an egg is born a female, it stays a female. If an egg is born male, it stays male. If you have your temp around 105, you will get more males that hatch (and more females that don't), and vice versa.

This.
The genetics remains 50/50 but after fertilization, it could be that males die off at lower temps and females at higher temps. That's not temp determining the sex; it's just temp determining survival.

 

[My name here]

No. It happens with snakes, amphibians (eg turtles) and some frogs/toads that sex is determined by temperature, but not chickens. Mammal DNA is sexed at conception/fertilisation, I don't know of a single mammal that isn't.

Chickens are not mammals

 

[nuthatched]

Chickens are not mammals

This thread is from 2010, you're not likely to receive a response from the op.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I know this thread is old, but...
It does seem environmental factors do play a role in gender determination of unhatched chicks. The hen may choose gender, but gender may not be finalized until the right conditions happen.

When I hatch chicks, this is the years before last year, while we've been stuck in the La Nina, weather pattern. Those years I'd get either more cockerels, or more pullets.

Last year we finally got an El Nino. I ended up hatching about equal genders, which never happens here.

Planning on maybe doing an experiment thread relating to the subject.


An interesting video, on the birds, are reptiles subject.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Also I've done the refrigerator eggs method for females, it did work. This girl is technically Male despite that. Those females produced by chilled eggs when bred will only produce males.

Her 4 sons.

 

[SH1]

No. It happens with snakes, amphibians (eg turtles) and some frogs/toads that sex is determined by temperature, but not chickens. Mammal DNA is sexed at conception/fertilisation, I don't know of a single mammal that isn't.

Birds aren't mammals

 

[Chicken tenda]

I have read of only 2 studies that claim you can influence the hen to roo ratios of your hatching eggs. And then only marginally.
The first method shown to effect the more hens to roos had to do with the age of the breeding roo. The study suggested that young breeding males tend to produce more pullets than roos. I dont know that I believe it though since all of my roos are one year or less of age and I seem to be covered up in roo chicks.

The other method involves feed. The study suggests that free feeding sorghum grain, (I assume they are refering to Milo), in addition to the regular laying feed, to laying hens will effect the gender of the chicks. Results generally dont show up for a month or two after starting to feed the sorghum, but hen to roo ratios tended to raise to about 60/40 pullets to roos. I havent tested this and the study wasnt a longterm study, so take it as just something that might or might not work.

Now for the wives tales. I havent tried this either, but my cousion and my uncle swear that you can select the gender of the eggs you are incubating by suspending a needle on a string above the egg. If the needle swings back and forth, the egg will produce a roo, if the needle swings in a circle or arch, then the egg will produce a pullet. My uncle also swears he can guess the age of any woman by suspending a ring on a string above her head. He claims it will rotate one turn for every year of age. My wife wont stand still long enough for me to test this theory on her.

Great post! I can't find the study you refer to looking at sorghum, are you able to remember where you saw the study? Thanks!

 

[BoundlessLove]

You will likely not get an answer, as the OP hasn’t posted in a year.