Thought I had all girls.... Opinions please....

[nicalandia]

Wow, big word and I think I just learnt something!!!!

there was a line of Highly inbrd Turkey breed that was bred fro that purpose, and some Males were hatched, they can only produce Males

here is the link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenogenesis

 

[chickarooo]

Coool

 

[nicalandia]

Coool

to be more precise its called: Facultative parthenogenesis

Facultative parthenogenesis is believed to be a response to a lack of a viable male. A female may undergo facultative parthenogenesis if a male is absent from the habitat or if it is unable to produce viable offspring. This behavior has been documented in sharks, Komodo dragons and a variety of domesticated birds
while some hens are capable of this, only about 10% of those parthenogenic eggs will become Embryos here is a nice Read: http://www.thepoultrysite.com/artic...-normal-fertilization-and-embryonic-mortality it says that high embryonic mortality may infact be parthenogenetic embryos that Die before hatching rather than normal embryonic death from the paper: About 15% of the freshly laid unfertilized eggs of Barred Plymouth Rock and White Leghorn hens exhibit embryonic development, but this development ceases when the eggs are incubated

 

[Bill Matthews]

Thank you for something useful and highly interesting...Learn something every day....Always thought parthenogenesis was a myth......Still skeptical about that line of turkeys that only throws males..Where would the next generations of egg layers come from...Could be some hybridized linebreeding system I guess?....This may sound stupid but I am serious, not facetious.....Take Care

 

[bbyblueyes3]

Wow... so I may not have any boys... and that may be why I am finding these... very interesting.....

 

[aoxa]

Wow... so I may not have any boys... and that may be why I am finding these... very interesting.....

I agree, very cool

Is it just from one hen in particular?

 

[nicalandia]

Where would the next generations of egg layers come from...Could be some hybridized linebreeding system I guess?....This may sound stupid but I am serious, not facetious.....Take Care

you are right.. Linebreeding as you would to select for any other trait.. they breed the most Parthenogenetic hens with their sons, untill you get viable males, those males can be mate with their mother or systers....

 

[bbyblueyes3]

I'm not certain who is laying them... they all tend to use the same nest box... not sure how I could tell who it came from...

 

[aoxa]

I'm not certain who is laying them... they all tend to use the same nest box... not sure how I could tell who it came from...

You should be able to tell the eggs apart. Especially with so few chickens. They all lay an egg that is very individual. The shades usually don't change much (not considering after a molt, or other factors), and they are almost always the same shape.

If they all look similar to you, you can attempt to food colour the vent and see who is laying it that way.

You don't necessarily need to know which hen it is.. just want to know if only one hen is laying these Facultative parthenogenesis eggs. Not a big deal which one it is.. just that only one is doing it. So if you can separate the eggs by shell colour and shape and determine if only one is doing it -that would be awesome.

 

[bbyblueyes3]

I got 6 eggs yesterday and have 6 hens....

I know the "lucky girl" is one of my RSL.... It has been a brown egg each time.....