Myth or Fact? Incubating mixed breed eggs produce more Roosters than Pullets.

[AllCoop'dUp]

Stopped by a local feed store to pick up some items. I always look at the baby chicks regardless of whether I need them or not. The sales person said they were Black Sex-Links and guaranteed to be pullets. I said, well, I don't need any as I had just hatched out 12 mixed breeds. He was like "oh..no you're gonna have mostly Roosters". I said really? Why? He said mixed breed eggs always produce more roosters. Isn't there always a 50/50 chance? Then I got to thinking, if that's true, it would explain why hatcheries have more pullets then roosters. If it's not true, what does the hatcheries do with all the little roos?

 

[SmallFarmChick]

I heard that it's the temp that determines the male/female in a chick. I have no idea, but I think that guy's wrong.

 

[AinaWGSD]

Total myth. The hatcheries hatch just as many roosters as hens, they only sell more hens than roosters. Extra roosters get sent as packing peanuts and sometimes are killed at sexing.

Temperatures during incubation can affect how many roosters or pullets hatch, but the don't determine the gender. Male embryos are more likely than female embryos to die at temps that are just a little too high, so if you incubate at higher temps you may be more likely to hatch more females than males, but the overall hatch rate will be lower because more males will die in the egg before getting to hatch.

 

[1muttsfan]

Myth.

Hatcheries terminate all the sex-linked roosters at hatching, as they are not used for meat purposes (too slow growing and too small a carcass) or for breeding, as sex-links are produced using 2 different pure breeds.

 

[akashia26]

some males are sold in assortments.

 

[AllCoop'dUp]

1mutts...that's interesting that you said they were too slow growing for meat, because the feed store guy also said that the black sexlinks start laying weeks before other breeds. I get the feeling he just wanted to sell me some chicks!!