Sexing eggs!

[BillJ]

Sex determination at the follicles in chickens and relevance of bird core temperature - large eggs from large birds - large birds likely have a slightly higher core temperature - the higher core temperature selecting for ZZ rather than ZW.. Large eggs more likely to become cockerels.

BillJ

 

[BillJ]

Incubation started. Last 3 eggs the hens were getting lecithin and these 3 eggs seem more consistent in weight and having height/width ratios tending toward female.

 

[chickengr]

Incubation started. Last 3 eggs the hens were getting lecithin and these 3 eggs seem more consistent in weight and having height/width ratios tending toward female.

keep us posted!

 

[BillJ]

Nope. Doesn't look like any girls

10 out of 12 hatched.

I wonder. Aren't these sex-linked birds? To get 10 of 10 no girls, it almost begs probability. Wonder if the hatchery is sending a message. Perhaps sex-linking has progressed to a distinguishable difference in the egg size, color or shape clearly denoting roo's. I know this thread is about pointed or rounded.

 

[junebuggena]

I wonder. Aren't these sex-linked birds? To get 10 of 10 no girls, it almost begs probability. Wonder if the hatchery is sending a message. Perhaps sex-linking has progressed to a distinguishable difference in the egg size, color or shape clearly denoting roo's. I know this thread is about pointed or rounded.

The person that hatched these was using shipped eggs, and was unable to select purely for 'round' eggs. She grew them out long enough to determine that they were, in fact, all males.
And Legbars should be auto-sexing, not sexlinked. Sexlinks do not breed true.

 

[KirstieJG]

Well, I have been using this theory for a year and i'm definitely getting more pullets. BUT, I do select the roundest eggs by hen, and I only take half where possible. If you cant identify which hen laid which egg then I dont think the results will be as good. Having said that, in the original study it did conclude that less pointy eggs in general were more likely to be pullets.


I am trying to keep notes on each incubation so that I can fill in LazyGardeners survey too. Part of me wants to try it the other way around too and hatch just the pointy to see if I do actually get more cockerels or if its more about the incubation.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Well, I have been using this theory for a year and i'm definitely getting more pullets. BUT, I do select the roundest eggs by hen, and I only take half where possible. If you cant identify which hen laid which egg then I dont think the results will be as good. Having said that, in the original study it did conclude that less pointy eggs in general were more likely to be pullets.


I am trying to keep notes on each incubation so that I can fill in LazyGardeners survey too. Part of me wants to try it the other way around too and hatch just the pointy to see if I do actually get more cockerels or if its more about the incubation.

Think that's where some are picking the 'wrong' eggs....Eggs selection NEED to be from a single hen, not from a combination (hen) eggs. I've got only 4 that just started laying, have noticed the difference in color & the shapes individually. I know who laid & when, unfortunately for me I don't/can't have a Rooster to join this experiment But I'm following this thread, someday I hope to be able to get a Rooster. Maybe if I got Bantams, they probably don't crow as loud? Any suggestions?

 

[lazy gardener]

Think that's where some are picking the 'wrong' eggs....Eggs selection NEED to be from a single hen, not from a combination (hen) eggs. I've got only 4 that just started laying, have noticed the difference in color & the shapes individually. I know who laid & when, unfortunately for me I don't/can't have a Rooster to join this experiment But I'm following this thread, someday I hope to be able to get a Rooster. Maybe if I got Bantams, they probably don't crow as loud? Any suggestions?

I did see a video of a breed (not in this country) of bantam where the roo had a very quiet crow. But, to tell you the truth, it sounded far more objectionable to the decisive crow of a regular roo.

 

[CherriesBrood]

Ok I just had a thought. I'm thinking that if you take eggs from a younger hen that's like below 10 months of age and you take the eggs that are rounded they will likely be females.
Think about it, she's young so she lays smaller eggs and in my experiences she usually lays rounded eggs, plus she's a new layer so her eggs aren't what they will be like when she is older, as she ages that shape and size of the eggs she lays changes. I have once (and this was in my first hatch) tried this. I took the most roundest eggs and 3 hatched, 2 turned out to be females and 1 turned out to be a male. That's pretty good considering in one of my other hatches all turned out to be males and they were from pointy eggs. I think younger hens will lay "female" eggs, and older hens will lay "male" eggs. What do you all think about this theory?

 

[ChickNanny13]

Ok I just had a thought. I'm thinking that if you take eggs from a younger hen that's like below 10 months of age and you take the eggs that are rounded they will likely be females.
Think about it, she's young so she lays smaller eggs and in my experiences she usually lays rounded eggs, plus she's a new layer so her eggs aren't what they will be like when she is older, as she ages that shape and size of the eggs she lays changes. I have once (and this was in my first hatch) tried this. I took the most roundest eggs and 3 hatched, 2 turned out to be females and 1 turned out to be a male. That's pretty good considering in one of my other hatches all turned out to be males and they were from pointy eggs. I think younger hens will lay "female" eggs, and older hens will lay "male" eggs. What do you all think about this theory?

Hummm, another they to work with