This Is For Everyone Who Wants To Know The Gender Of Their Chicks!

[sewchick]

Quote:
dowsing?

Yeah that's it!! Thank you. Old age and a bad memory here.

 

[Luvroos]

I had read this article from a state research labs magazine regarding producing hens verses roos in which is done through some sorts for special artifical lighting, simular to ott lights for birds and this is accomplished by keeping the hens under them for so many day time hours of their life before the eggs are laid. Does not make a lot of sence to me either however, I'm going to look around for this vets book that I have with hopes to locate this article again. Never can tell what secrets are out there, so many it's not funny for us sense we look stupid compared to researchers! If we all knew about it most breeds of roosters would nearly go extinct since most want more hens than roos, from my experiences anyway.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Well, Boykin, you have me convinced to give it a try next time I hatch or have to order st. run. I will keep track and let you know what I come up with. It is worth a shot.

 

[Mahonri]

I can NOT believe I actually read this entire thread.

I just would never chance hurting a chick or bird with this method.

It's a miracle that they even got out of the egg. Why ruin that?! Why would you take that chance?!

 

[Kassaundra]

My question would be are fowl like mamals when the egg is fertilized sex is determined? Or like SOME reptiles where temperatures do play a role in sex outcome?

 

[Raven81]

i have also heard that temp does play a small role in sex warmer =higher % girls colder =higher % boys. i havnt tried yet but will do a study with whatever i hatch to see if there is some truth to it.
another method i will trial is a pendulum hold it over the chick & it goes in a circle for girls & back & forth for boys. after hearing this method i tried it out on calves ( yes i have a pendulum ive had it for yrs so dug it out to try ) & it went in circles over the girls & back & forth over the boys, also tryed the dogs both girls, yes it went in circles. tryed the cats. 4 in total, circle over the girl back & forth over the boys. i didnt believe as i thought maybe its coz i know what they are before. well i done the then 9 wk old chicks 4 dorkings & 2 SLW i had 2 of the dorkings that i suspected were 1 of each so i tryed the pendulum over all of them & it said i had 3 girls & 1 boy ( but i didnt believe it till yesterday.they are 11 -12 wks now) the SLW were 1 of each. that was a few weeks ago & have lost 1 of each breed. but looking at the dorkings today i have 2 girls & 1 boy. im positive of that as one is getting the roo colors & the other 2 have the brown chest. with the SLW the 1 that is still alive was the 1 that the pendulum said was a girl & ive suspected the same for a while but my mother argues black & blue its a roo but i have nothing to compare it with so the jury is still out on that chick. but to me it was the more girly of the two so when i actually know for a fact like the dorkings i will let u know if the pendulum method was right or not.
but in saying that i dont believe 100% yet i still have some trialing to do on this method just coz it was right for the surviving 3 out of 4 dorkings doesnt mean it was 100% i have eggs under a broody atm due to hatch on the 10th so i will be trying diff methods & keeping a record as to which gave what & eventually what was what but i will be posting the results so if any one has a method they want me to try let me know so i can add it to the list.
sorry if you disagree with me on some of the things ive said but im new & im just trialling methods & recording my findings.....

 

[Cowgirl71]

Quote:
The sex of the chick is determined before the egg is even layed (with chickens the female actually decides the sex instead of the male like with mammals). By raising the incubation temperature you are killing off many of the males because the males don't do as well at the higher temperature, but you will NOT be getting a 100% hatch of all of the fertile eggs incubated.

Your over all hatch rate will actually be quite low.

 

[spartacus_63]

I guess I really don't get the point. I fail to see the motivation behind trying to sex chicks at such a young age unless you are in the business of selling sexed chicks. The price difference really isn't that much and, at least around here, you can sell cockerels for a profit after a few months. Setting the temp higher in the incubator can not be more effective (profitable) for most given the loss of hatch percentage and the added time/trouble. Seems like a LOT of work and worry to me.

Of course I only use bio-bators. Nature is my hired hand. The chickens do 90% of the work. All I have to do is pay attention and keep the flock happy. I get so much enjoyment from watching the eggs turn into chicks and the chicks grow into chickens, especially during the hen-chick learning phase. For anyone interested the following is a link to a great article published in Backyard Poultry that talks about "Letting Momma Do It" http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Broody-Hens-1.html

 

[Katy]

Quote:
The sex of the chick is determined before the egg is even layed (with chickens the female actually decides the sex instead of the male like with mammals). By raising the incubation temperature you are killing off many of the males because the males don't do as well at the higher temperature, but you will NOT be getting a 100% hatch of all of the fertile eggs incubated.

Your over all hatch rate will actually be quite low.

IF that theory is correct I really don't see the point in taking up incubator space hoping to kill off your unwanted cockeral chicks and end up with a poor hatch. I'd rather have a good hatch and sell off the cockerals a few weeks down the road and at least get something in return for my trouble.

To say that temps play a role in what sex of chicks you hatch is misleading (if the theory is true) to new people.....makes it sound like you're claiming that temps can magically change the sex of the chicks.....it wouldn't be changing anything.....only killing off one sex or the other so they don't hatch. Sounds like that would be a waste of chicks to me......and unless you open up every unhatched egg and sex the unhatched chicks there is no proof of anything.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Has anyone watched the show Dirty Jobs where Mike Rowe learned how to sex chicks by looking at their wings? I have posted the link below. I think that this video was taped at McMurray Hatchery. How does everyone feel about this method? I use the "wait and hear" method. I wait to hear if they crow or not.

ETA: I really didn't like the way they were handling and throwing the chicks around. That was too rough for me.