Ordering unsexed chicks

[Pequena Bandada]

That's why I order sexed chicks! If you do My Pet Chicken, it's only 50 cents more per chick for sexing. (but shipping is really expensive)

 

[Egghead_Jr]

This poor lady was posting on Craiglist last month for BLR Wyandotte pullets because of a straight run order that went fowl.

She wanted to breed them and ended up with all roos but one and she had an improper comb!
50/50 may be the law of average but for folks like her and me it's Murphies Law. With small orders I'd personally stick with pullet to be on the safe side.

 

[Ridgerunner]

It is not really 50-50, though ordering twice as many chicks as you want pullets is probably wise. Let me give a few examples.

If you order 1 chick, the odds are 1 in 2 you will get a pullet.

If you order two chicks, the odds are 2 in 4 you will get 1 pullet. But the odds are also 1 in 4 yu will get two pullets. They are also 1 in 4 you will get 2 roosters. So the odds are 3 in 4 that you will get at least 1 pullets (sometimes 2) if you order 2 chicks.

If you order 3 chicks, the odds are 1 in 8 that they are all roosters or pullets. So the odds of getting at least 1 pullet out of 3 chicks is 7 in 8. Pretty good odds. The odds of getting at least 2 pullets out of three chicks is 4 out of 8, three times it is 2 pullets and 1 time it is 3 pullets.

If you order four chicks, the odds of getting no pullets is 1 on 16, so the odds of getting at least one pullet is 15 out of 16. The odds of getting 2 or more pullets out of 4 chicks is a phenomenal 11 out of 16. Of course, the odds of getting 2 or more roosters is also 11 out of 16.

Maybe this will help explain it.

4 males - 1 out of 16.

3 males/1 female - 4 out of 16

2 males/2 females - 6 out of 16

1 male/3 females - 4 out of 16

4 females - 1 out of 16

This of course assumes it is true straight run. I've only ordered chicks once and I got 4 roosters and 9 pullets out of my straight run order. If the hatchery is ethical about how they do their straight run, the odds mean something. If they are not ethical, then the odds mean nothing. I ordered once from Cackle and from my results I believe they were ethical. I cannot speak for anyone else. And remember, it is only odds. There will be some orders that are almost all roosters.

 

[bufforp89]

I ordered 25 pullets from welp last year and 2 roos and ended up with 9 roos

 

[Miz Mary]

Quote:
From where I read .... If you order a pullet , it's $10 ...... a Roo is $7 ....straight run is $3 ......... I like that you only need to order at least 3 ...not 25 at most places !!!

 

[greyhorsewoman]

When considering whether or not it's worth it to order sexed as opposed to straight run (assuming you can order sexed, some breeds only available in unsexed), also consider what it will COST to feed to adulthood (or till you know what you have) and how/where/if you can part with them.

We ordered 25 straight run cochins from McMurray a few years back and 13 were roosters (including the Brahma freebe). Pretty close to 50/50. Had I had a choice, I would have purchased sexed, since we don't butcher anything ourselves. I finally located a friend willing to butcher for half. Hardly a crock of soup each after feeding them for 6 months.

 

[topknot19]

Yes, If one wants a set amount of egg production, one should definitely order sexed pullets. Even with good odds and luck, the set amount of eggs may not be achieved.

I ordered from Welp this September with good fortune. Of 25 sexed pullets, only one looks to be a roo. Of the 5 assorted crested as straight run, who knows. They sure are pretty birds but not expecting egg production from them.

Cheers,