The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[ronott1]

I have never heard that one Floyd...that's a good one.

Matt

If it were true, then the hatcheries would do it. It is actually a point retreat from the old heat changes gender like happens in some frogs.

1. someone posts that the correct temperature will make an egg male or female. It is pointed out that chickens do not work that way.
2. person not wanting to admit that they were wrong will then search and see the false theory that changing the temp a bit will kill the male embryos.

It then becomes self propagating on the Internet, another false thing spreading.

Question? Do you have a lot of dead chicks in the shell that do not pip? If the male embryos die with heat, they die and the end of incubation. It is better to have the best hatch possible. The closer you get to 100% hatch, the better the ratio will be between male and female chicks over time and a lot of hatches. Keep records for several years and you will see this work.

 

[FloydBhere]

I understand what you are saying. I don't claim to be an expert. Hatcheries might not do this be cause they do: 1. Use the roosters to keep the others warm in shipping 2. Sell them as fryers 3. Give them as gifts to unsuspecting clients. Remember I never said the temp method would increase the number of females, but temp can influence the mortality rates. Temps will not change the sex of an egg. But if you set 100 eggs of which 85 hatched with the temp low the theory postulates that your 15 deaths would more like be female which hypothetically could result in 35 hens and 50 roosters hatched... the same eggs set where the temps ran high could result in the same 85 hatched but with 50 hens and 35 roosters (the increased heat increased the mortality rates of the males)...The difference was not that the sex changed, but that the mortality rates based on temp skewed the numbers. My temps usually run high for some reason or another based on my error, but all my hatches have more hens....even though I have different hens than I started with.

 

[ronott1]

I understand what you are saying. I don't claim to be an expert. Hatcheries might not do this be cause they do: 1. Use the roosters to keep the others warm in shipping 2. Sell them as fryers 3. Give them as gifts to unsuspecting clients. Remember I never said the temp method would increase the number of females, but temp can influence the mortality rates. Temps will not change the sex of an egg. But if you set 100 eggs of which 85 hatched with the temp low the theory postulates that your 15 deaths would more like be female which hypothetically could result in 35 hens and 50 roosters hatched... the same eggs set where the temps ran high could result in the same 85 hatched but with 50 hens and 35 roosters (the increased heat increased the mortality rates of the males)...The difference was not that the sex changed, but that the mortality rates based on temp skewed the numbers. My temps usually run high for some reason or another based on my error, but all my hatches have more hens....even though I have different hens than I started with.

I have read some studies that do not show this happening.

What you are seeing is a statistical rule not death by temperature. I do not have them bookmarked or saved but I have read poultry studies that show temperature does not work like that for hatching. There is no significant difference caused by temperature on death by gender.

Hatcheries are starting to use a genetic test for males and females. The male eggs can be determined at about 5 days old and then they are destroyed. This is done for the commercial egg farms. They do not want any males.

You have been lucky so far!

 

[desertmarcy]

I have never heard that one Floyd...that's a good one.

Matt

Here is an article about temperature affecting sex: http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/does-incubation-temperature-influence-the-sex-of-a-chick/ The original study was not given in the article, but according to the article, "An interesting point that came out of one study done with broilers was that incubation temperature did not appear to have any impact on the sex of the chick. However, lower incubation temperatures seemed to produce a higher rate of pre-hatch mortality for female chicks and higher incubation temperatures seemed to produce a higher rate of pre-hatch mortality for male chicks."

Note they say "appear to". Without reading the original source, I don't know if it was statistically significant. Hatching at less than optimum temperature could have other adverse effects on the chicks.

 

[cmom]

When you hatch does incubator tend to stay above or below 99.5 degrees? One explanation for the high percentage of males is that your temps run on the lower range which leads to higher female mortality during incubation.. I usually run mine on the higher side which leads to higher male mortality. I usually have more hens... Just a theory I came across

I have read that before and have had friends that hatch eggs from their backyard flock that believe it, but I did do some research a few years ago and found nothing except that it only works for reptiles.

 

[RIR-YELLOWLEGS]

When you hatch does incubator tend to stay above or below 99.5 degrees? One explanation for the high percentage of males is that your temps run on the lower range which leads to higher female mortality during incubation.. I usually run mine on the higher side which leads to higher male mortality. I usually have more hens... Just a theory I came across

WOW this is od to jnow glad you posted this information how much higher are you eunning your bator??

 

[irishsilkie]

two roosters were running round with my hybrid rhode islands a pure bred rhode island rooster and a silkie rooster, i dont know which one is the father of this pullet can anyone help?

 

[Chicken girl 15]

I have 8 beautiful easter RIR and am curious at what point I will know if I have a Roo in the bunch. I love my girls they are a blast to watch. I'm very excited to get them a RIR roo all the it own to keep a yard full.

 

[ronott1]

I have 8 beautiful easter RIR and am curious at what point I will know if I have a Roo in the bunch. I love my girls they are a blast to watch. I'm very excited to get them a RIR roo all the it own to keep a yard full.

You should know by now.

Post pictures!

 

[Chicken girl 15]