She said/He said Who's right? Who's wrong? No one!

[AmyLynn2374]

It is like humans but the hen determines gender--The rooster provide neutral genes so has nothing to do with the gender of the chicks.

Here is more:

Q: How is sex determined in chickens and what does it mean?

A: In birds, the sex of the embryo is determined by the egg, not the sperm (as it is in humans). Avian sex differentiation is not determined by XY chromosomes like it is in humans and most mammals (or even the XO system used by some insects). In those systems the sex is determined by the sperm, by what the male contributes to the offspring. By contrast, birds have a ZW system of sex determination (shared with butterflies, moths, fish and reptiles). In that system, sex is determined by the female within her ova, and the sex of offspring is not affected at all by the sperm which the male contributes

I learned that early on when I first started incubating and I found it fascinating then and I still do.

 

[meganhundley]

Funny you should say that; only time I've ever seem them eat anything was when one of them was chowing down on a stink bug I'd killed.

Lol, they can eat all the stink bugs they want!! There's a stink bug nest in my house somewhere, this past summer we were killing about 10-15 of them a day. Nasty little things.

 

[meganhundley]

I learned that early on when I first started incubating and I found it fascinating then and I still do.

That really is cool.

 

[ronott1]

Oh ok, so it's normal?

Yes, molting at 16 weeks is normal.

Your cockerel will look like an adult after the molt.

 

[meganhundley]

Chickens are descendant from Jungle Fowl, which is close to the equator. We have domesticated them and moved them north so they are already not in their natural lighting environment.

Adding lights will not harm them--but it will make them run out of eggs to lay sooner. A Hen can only lay so many eggs since they only have so many--mostly one ovaries worth. Hens are born with all the ovum they will ever have. About half of them are male and half are female too.

Weird facts about chickens!

We need to figure out a way to breed a chicken that will lay a ratio of 8:1. 8 hens for every 1 roo, lol

 

[meganhundley]

Yes, molting at 16 weeks is normal.

Your cockerel will look like an adult after the molt.

Awesome, that's what I've been waiting for, lol. I did notice that his pretty green tail feathers were coming in.

 

[kwhites634]

Lol, they can eat all the stink bugs they want!! There's a stink bug nest in my house somewhere, this past summer we were killing about 10-15 of them a day. Nasty little things.

10-15 a day? We should be so lucky! We kill them 50+ at a time, in one room! They live in the window A/C units. When we pull the units @ the end of the season we have to store them in double heavy-duty lawn bags (the big black ones) knotted on the end. Weren't as bad this year as they have been, but still plenty enough.

 

[meganhundley]

10-1 a day? We should be so lucky! We kill them 50+ at a time, in one room! They live in the window A/C units. When we pull the units @ the end of the season we have to store them in double heavy-duty lawn bags (the big black ones) knotted on the end. Weren't as bad this year as they have been, but still plenty enough.

Holy ****!! Oh no, I couldn't deal with that. I HATE bugs, especially those, I'd freak out!! That's about the only girly thing about me, lol, I'm scared of some bugs.

 

[kwhites634]

Holy ****!! Oh no, I couldn't deal with that. I HATE bugs, especially those, I'd freak out!! That's about the only girly thing about me, lol, I'm scared of some bugs.

HOT PINK!!!???

 

[meganhundley]

[COLOR=FF0000]HOT PINK!!!???[/COLOR]

Oh yeah, that too, lol