Ever had a winter broody?

[Indigosands]

Love these pictures! Here's my mama hen with her babies, just about 2wks old now? All 7 are under her, but not for much longer I think! Here's a question for all those that have done winter hatches, how has your gender ratio been? The last time I had a winter hatch I got 3 roos and 1 hen. I'm hoping this hatch isn't that rooster-heavy but I've heard a lot of rumors that it's common in winter. Thoughts?

 

[Manningjw]

Gender is determined before incubation and hatch so it shouldn't matter. the only thing I can think of is that because the female gender is determined by the sex chromosome in chickens the Roos might be stronger by default not have to be altered from what they would be without gender specific hormones. Mammals are the opposite. I don't know enough about avian genetics to really be confident in that however.

 

[zippy722]

It looks like of the 14 chicks that were hatched, 3 are pullets and 11 Roos. *sniff, sniff*

 

[luvmypets]

I have a BOrp that has gone broody twice. Both times conditions weren't right so I removed her and took eggs

but I started calling her BigMama (even though she isn't yet) and the name stuck! I can't wait until Spring, she stopped laying a couple of weeks ago.

Post pics!!! Love Silkies but they aren't right for us.

well actually my profile picture, is mama on the nest.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Love these pictures! Here's my mama hen with her babies, just about 2wks old now? All 7 are under her, but not for much longer I think! Here's a question for all those that have done winter hatches, how has your gender ratio been? The last time I had a winter hatch I got 3 roos and 1 hen. I'm hoping this hatch isn't that rooster-heavy but I've heard a lot of rumors that it's common in winter. Thoughts?

My last winter hatch was 3 pullets to 0 roos out of 5 eggs...2 didnt develop. I've read research on incubation that shows cooler temps and fluctuation to cool then back to normal in an artificial brooder are harsher on male embryos. It is not usable in the industry as it is too difficult to perform without killing all the embryos. So I've personally wondered if a hen gettting up and allowing eggs to over cool would favor pullets in cold weather. But you are 4 to 1 roos and I am 3 to 0 roos. Not much can be learned other than there is a 50/50 chance for a male or female. Typically my hatches have favored females to date. I REALLY hope the odds don't catch up with me in 1 week when my Silkie hatches the 6 Marans eggs under her now.

 

[Indigosands]

Interesting, I would be thrilled if these were all pullets. I had read on here somewhere that birds are opposite us, and the female determines the offspring's gender. I wondered if, or how much environmental temperature or daylight would change the ratio if at all. Seems like everyone talks about high rooster hatches in winter and more females in spring. Guess I'm going to find out how true that is. LOL

ETA, I see you also had a silkie raising EE's Were they fully feathered by the time they didn't fit under her anymore? I'm hoping I didn't give her too many to keep warm.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Interesting, I would be thrilled if these were all pullets. I had read on here somewhere that birds are opposite us, and the female determines the offspring's gender. I wondered if, or how much environmental temperature or daylight would change the ratio if at all. Seems like everyone talks about high rooster hatches in winter and more females in spring. Guess I'm going to find out how true that is. LOL

ETA, I see you also had a silkie raising EE's Were they fully feathered by the time they didn't fit under her anymore? I'm hoping I didn't give her too many to keep warm.

Yes...the female does determine the gender, which is why the males look like the mother and females look like the father in the sex link hybrids.

I have found that my broody hatched chicks feather in much faster and grow much bigger than those I raised with heat lamps...so much so that I have to adjust my "eye" when I look at ages of chicks remembering that photos of chicks at 2 weeks that have been raised under heat lamps differs from those raised under a broody. It is simply amazing at how quickly they grow and how well they thrive with a good momma hen.

Yes, my Silkie has raised large fowl...and she attempts to put them under her wings even at larger ages...with varying degrees of success.

This....



became this....became....


this.


Lady of McCamley

 

[Indigosands]

Oh my, that's terribly sweet! I showed my kids the pictures, they loved it! This is only my second group with a broody mama, it is fascinating to watch them, they are so alert and aware of the flock and themselves.

 

[Jharper]

Gender is determined before incubation and hatch so it shouldn't matter. the only thing I can think of is that because the female gender is determined by the sex chromosome in chickens the Roos might be stronger by default not have to be altered from what they would be without gender specific hormones. Mammals are the opposite. I don't know enough about avian genetics to really be confident in that however.

Yeah, I think it's the female chromosome to determine male or female. Something like that anyways. Because out of my two laying hens I'm seeing who's eggs I should hatch to get a better chance and it seems like my black australorp. Because when I put 8 of my PRIR eggs in and all 8 hatched and they are all saying boy.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Yeah, I think it's the female chromosome to determine male or female. Something like that anyways. Because out of my two laying hens I'm seeing who's eggs I should hatch to get a better chance and it seems like my black australorp. Because when I put 8 of my PRIR eggs in and all 8 hatched and they are all saying boy.

Breed nor hen change the chances of getting a roo.

It is overall 50/50 for hen or roo with any egg. If you get 8 out of 8 roos in a small hatch, with consecutive hatches the numbers will eventually even out just as it does with flipping a coin heads or tails.

The only proven influence on hatch rates is temperature of eggs...males are more vulnerable to cooler brooding temps...ie male embryos die more easily than females if the temp of the eggs drop during incubation. However its not reliable enough for the industry to use it.

So use whatever hen you like for the quualities she brings and over time she will hatch out a relatively even number of pullets and roos.

Lady of McCamley