Rosemary, my bantam mix, has gone broody! I'm going to let her hatch off some chicks, however, I'd like to avoid more bantam mix roos. A couple of elderly men at the FS informed me that the more pointed long eggs were Roos and the rounded (almost like a golf ball) ones were hens. I'm guessing this is a myth, however, I did notice tonight that 3 out of the 7 were VERY pointy and long compared to the other 4. I pulled them in case these guys were right. They swore it had worked with their flocks so I guess we'll see. Anyone else ever heard of this?
It's not true. I've hatched both males and females from these eggs. The shape just has to do with the was they shell was formed, not the gender of the embryo.
I wish it were true! But, it is only an Old Wive's Tale. If it were true, then we would be able to buy pullets from the hatcheries much cheaper. They wouldn't have to incubate so many eggs and dispose of unwanted cockeral chicks. We would also be able to order Bantams as pullets only also. I have a few hens that only lay very pointed eggs, and their offspring is about 50/50. Edited to add: I ran across a site yesterday that stated the opposite for sexing eggs...LOL They said the pointed ones were pullets! Jean
I think we definately need to start working on a self-sexing before hatch breed. Perhaps like those pregnancy tests, one line for boy, two lines for if its a girl, no lines if its unfertilized. Well that's the dream anyway.
Please take pictures of you running after the hens with a stick for them to **** on, before they lay the next egg, so you will know what sex it will be!!!! I couldn't help myself... LOL Jean
And thanks for the input... Oh well, I pulled the pointy ones anyway because I didn't really want over 4 chicks from her. It was worth a try anyway, even though it did sound off the wall when he was telling me
I can't rtemember which breeding site I had read it on but supposedly it does change your chances to 70% female. I tried with my girl but they were all the same. Just recently she laid her first pointier egg....and her babes now count four pullets and four roos...all from almost the exact same shape
Well, I wonder if this does not apply to ALL eggs, but to some hens. Maybe on a hen to hen basis you can differenciate between male and female eggs. I dunno. Some old wives tales are a bunch of bologna but some have validity to them, even if we do not yet understand the science behind them.
LOL. I think it is just an old wives tale. Either that or I'm a very very lucky owner. Two out of three of my Dorking hens lay only rounded, golfball like eggs. I must admit that many of the Dorkings that have hatched so far are female, but I know I have had a few male as well. -Kim
