My Horrid Cockerel to Pullet Ratio

[saving grace]

Just want to take a quick sec to rant about how HORRIBLE my pullet-to-cockerel ratio is!

In my first batch of 20 hatchery chicks, only 7 were pullets (and one was eaten by a neighbor's dog. )

My batch of 10 hatchery ducks only had 2 hens (and one of them doesn't lay, so basically one laying hen from ten.)

In my first batch of chicks I hatched out, only 4 of 10 were pullets (one turned into an egg-eater and had to be culled, and the other was eaten by a different neighbor's dog. )

Now, in my second batch of hatchery chicks only FIVE (might be even four) of NINETEEN are pullets!!

My seven silkies are still to be sexed once they are older, and I am just hoping, hoping, that I get at least two pullets.

FYI, the hatcheries I bought my poultry from do not sell sexed chicks, so it's not like I was just getting the leftover cockerels they stick in the straight-run batch.

I really wish there was a hatchery nearby that sold sexed chicks, but I haven't found a single one.

I've got a batch of 9 more EE eggs that are about to hatch soon, so let's hope my luck will turn around!

Just want to say, I'm not trying to be negative here or anything. I know that many people get bad luck as well with their chicks, and I just wanted to let out my irritation for a second and hope others can relate.

 

[Theorrin]

I feel this pain. I hatched 10 eggs and 1 was a hen......

 

[Tonyroo]

Sexed ratios will always be a toss up. I've seen it in my numerous hatching. But my last hatch turned out all females and I actually wanted some males, go figure.

 

[FunClucks]

I feel your pain. I hatched out 21 of 24 eggs, had to cull one as a chick. Out of 20 healthy chicks, 12 were cockerels.

50/50 or so cockerel ratio in nature when all I want are hens - obviously the cockerels are predator food. Out of those 12 cockerels, I was only able to find a confirmed decent home for one of them. I decided if I was going to hatch chicks, I should get comfortable with eating the extra cockerels.

Next time, if you purchase sexlinked or autosexing breeds, you won't have so many cockerels.

 

[saving grace]

I feel your pain. I hatched out 21 of 24 eggs, had to cull one as a chick. Out of 20 healthy chicks, 12 were cockerels.

50/50 or so cockerel ratio in nature when all I want are hens - obviously the cockerels are predator food. Out of those 12 cockerels, I was only able to find a confirmed decent home for one of them. I decided if I was going to hatch chicks, I should get comfortable with eating the extra cockerels.

I'd be completely happy with a 50/50 ratio, and that's the best I imagine I'll get. I've never been able to sell my extra cockerels so we eat them as well, though the whole processing ordeal is a bit much.

Next time, if you purchase sexlinked or autosexing breeds, you won't have so many cockerels.

I don't have interest in any sex-linked breeds. I've had RSLs (still have one, actually), and they came with a multitude of issues due to them being such prolific egg layers. They laid great for about a year, but after that they just become a pain for me.

 

[FunClucks]

I'd be completely happy with a 50/50 ratio, and that's the best I imagine I'll get. I've never been able to sell my extra cockerels so we eat them as well, though the whole processing ordeal is a bit much.

I don't have interest in any sex-linked breeds. I've had RSLs (still have one, actually), and they came with a multitude of issues due to them being such prolific egg layers. They laid great for about a year, but after that they just become a pain for me.

Well, since you have to eat your chickens anyway, since you've had so many cockerels, and trouble selling them, you might consider getting RSLs and then eating them after two years. They make great stew and chicken salad. You can pressure cook them to make them really tender.

Alternatively, get RSLs and sell them after one year for half the price of a point of lay laying hen, and schedule getting more RSLs to replace them. That way, you have a constant, good supply of eggs, can recoup your investment somewhat, and don't have to deal with hens with issues.

You might try auto-sexing breeds - cream crested legbar is one, for instance, and it lays blue/green eggs. If you get them from a good breeder, all the males will have a headspot, and the females won't, Once their feathers come in, the males are obviously lighter than the females. There's a number of auto-sexing breeds that won't have the problems production hens are prone to, and you can tell from day one (when you're picking out the chicks) which is which. Another benefit of auto-sexing breeds is that they breed true - you need two different breeds of birds to produce RSLs, for instance, but you need two of the same kind of bird to reproduce auto-sexing breeds, so they can reproduce themselves without you having to keep two separate flocks or always buy chicks.

I think Barred Plymouth Rocks, Cuckoo Marans, and Bielefelders are also auto-sexing.

 

[saving grace]

Well, since you have to eat your chickens anyway, since you've had so many cockerels, and trouble selling them, you might consider getting RSLs and then eating them after two years. They make great stew and chicken salad. You can pressure cook them to make them really tender.

Alternatively, get RSLs and sell them after one year for half the price of a point of lay laying hen, and schedule getting more RSLs to replace them. That way, you have a constant, good supply of eggs, can recoup your investment somewhat, and don't have to deal with hens with issues.

While that seems like a really practical way of getting lots of eggs and not having to deal with extra cockerels, it wouldn't be a preferred way of doing it for me. My chickens are as much pets to me as they are just livestock, and I love to have variety in my flock and would prefer to not have to cull/sell my flock every other year.

You might try auto-sexing breeds - cream crested legbar is one, for instance, and it lays blue/green eggs. If you get them from a good breeder, all the males will have a headspot, and the females won't, Once their feathers come in, the males are obviously lighter than the females. There's a number of auto-sexing breeds that won't have the problems production hens are prone to, and you can tell from day one (when you're picking out the chicks) which is which. Another benefit of auto-sexing breeds is that they breed true - you need two different breeds of birds to produce RSLs, for instance, but you need two of the same kind of bird to reproduce auto-sexing breeds, so they can reproduce themselves without you having to keep two separate flocks or always buy chicks.

I didn't know cuckoo marans were auto-sexing, which is great news since I do know of a hatchery nearby that sells them. I've wanted marans in general for a while, so maybe that's an idea for next spring! Thanks so much for the info.

 

[The Birb King]

I completely understand. I always end up with extra roosters too from hatching but at least I can usually sell them. My button quail male to female ratio tho is horrible, 5 males and 2 females. It used to be even 5 males and 5 females but 3 females got sick and died. And since it's pretty much impossible to rehome only male buttons I'm stuck with them

 

[saving grace]

Well, I'm glad to say my bad luck has finally changed. Out of my seven silkies, three are pullets, and in my batch of seven EEs, six are pullets!!!! Woohoo!!

 

[Goldenwahintofboss]

Just want to take a quick sec to rant about how HORRIBLE my pullet-to-cockerel ratio is!

In my first batch of 20 hatchery chicks, only 7 were pullets (and one was eaten by a neighbor's dog. )

My batch of 10 hatchery ducks only had 2 hens (and one of them doesn't lay, so basically one laying hen from ten.)

In my first batch of chicks I hatched out, only 4 of 10 were pullets (one turned into an egg-eater and had to be culled, and the other was eaten by a different neighbor's dog. )

Now, in my second batch of hatchery chicks only FIVE (might be even four) of NINETEEN are pullets!!

My seven silkies are still to be sexed once they are older, and I am just hoping, hoping, that I get at least two pullets.

FYI, the hatcheries I bought my poultry from do not sell sexed chicks, so it's not like I was just getting the leftover cockerels they stick in the straight-run batch.

I really wish there was a hatchery nearby that sold sexed chicks, but I haven't found a single one.

I've got a batch of 9 more EE eggs that are about to hatch soon, so let's hope my luck will turn around!

Just want to say, I'm not trying to be negative here or anything. I know that many people get bad luck as well with their chicks, and I just wanted to let out my irritation for a second and hope others can relate.

I hatched 12 eggs. 5 hatched. 1 was a pullet. I feel your pain..now I have one big guy attacking the others. Silkie x Americauna white. Huge guy and aggressive w anyone who gets in his way. I think he will go in the roaster. Hard to rehome as nobody wants roos.Now I am hatching bantam silkies a d buff laced bearded polish. Praying for a good hatch.