I have decided to do an experiment. After reading this paper on Shape Index of eggs and how that can essentially predict the sex of a chick before hatch. I decided why not? I am going to hatch, why not just see if there is any truth to it. It's kind of fun, regardless of outcome! Makes for a great school project that's for sure. The first time I did it I had a decent number of eggs(60) to do the expierement on. I did all the measurements, and hatched 52/60 eggs. I had them separated by predicted gender, unfortunately my cousin (whom they were hatched for) mixed them up, and all the time and attention to detail is lost. I decided to do it again, and make it really easy. I bought eggs that will have chicks that are autosexing!! No more waiting! Immediate gratification!!
Here is a link to the article I read:
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-635X2013000300006
Here is the formula we used directly from the article. We just did the shape index calculation, as I am not much of a mathematician and most of the terminology in regard to stepwise logistics regression...blah blah blah was so confusing to me.
The maximum widths and lengths of each egg were measured with using Mutitoyo digital calliper (Mutitoyo, Japan) (±0.01 mm) and their shape index was calculated using the formula:
SI = (W / L) × 100 (Yannakopoulos & Tserveni-Gousi, 1986).
where SI= shape index, W= width of the egg, and L= length of the egg
I bought the digital calipers off eBay, and my daughter and I measure them together.
Below is the first eggs I did.(remember the chicks were mixed together, so I will never know the true outcome)
What I did was take the higher SI% and placed them in 1 incubator, and the others in a separate incubator. They were kept separate the entire time, and after hatch, placed in separate brooders.
After 4 days I took them to their new home. My cousin had lost her entire flock in one night, so I incubated 60 mixed breed eggs for her. Unfortunately as I said before they were mixed up and put in one single brooder box. (Importance of communication with her husband) anyway, it was an accident, and it gave me an excuse to try it again!
This time I ordered autosexing olive eggers from Papa's poultry. I ordered 6, and he was very generous with extras, that I received 11!!
They traveled a long, long way in Usps hands(yikes)
I am one day 18 with 3 viable eggs left!!
So here is my sheet from this hatch.
I have eggs 1,3 and 5 left.
I predict #5 is the only hen.
We will see!! Even if they don't hatch, I will still be able to tell if they are female/male.
Wish me luck!!
And yes, before anyone says anything, I do realize this is not a tried and true method, otherwise the hatcheries would be doing this!
It's just an expierement!!
If anyone else wants to join, please do!!!
Here is a link to the article I read:
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-635X2013000300006
Here is the formula we used directly from the article. We just did the shape index calculation, as I am not much of a mathematician and most of the terminology in regard to stepwise logistics regression...blah blah blah was so confusing to me.
The maximum widths and lengths of each egg were measured with using Mutitoyo digital calliper (Mutitoyo, Japan) (±0.01 mm) and their shape index was calculated using the formula:
SI = (W / L) × 100 (Yannakopoulos & Tserveni-Gousi, 1986).
where SI= shape index, W= width of the egg, and L= length of the egg
I bought the digital calipers off eBay, and my daughter and I measure them together.
Below is the first eggs I did.(remember the chicks were mixed together, so I will never know the true outcome)
What I did was take the higher SI% and placed them in 1 incubator, and the others in a separate incubator. They were kept separate the entire time, and after hatch, placed in separate brooders.
After 4 days I took them to their new home. My cousin had lost her entire flock in one night, so I incubated 60 mixed breed eggs for her. Unfortunately as I said before they were mixed up and put in one single brooder box. (Importance of communication with her husband) anyway, it was an accident, and it gave me an excuse to try it again!
This time I ordered autosexing olive eggers from Papa's poultry. I ordered 6, and he was very generous with extras, that I received 11!!
They traveled a long, long way in Usps hands(yikes)
I am one day 18 with 3 viable eggs left!!
So here is my sheet from this hatch.
I have eggs 1,3 and 5 left.
I predict #5 is the only hen.
We will see!! Even if they don't hatch, I will still be able to tell if they are female/male.
Wish me luck!!
And yes, before anyone says anything, I do realize this is not a tried and true method, otherwise the hatcheries would be doing this!
It's just an expierement!!
If anyone else wants to join, please do!!!
