Thread for any one who wants to take incubation to the next level

[Katy]

I think if there was a fool proof way to hatch more females than males the hatcheries would have it figured out by now. Over hundreds of chicks hatched out the percentages are going to be about 50/50.

 

[Bearchell]

Katy has a point. But I know in humans if your testies are too high you are more likely to produce female sperm as the males do die from the higher heat...

 

[Bantam Username]

So keep your breeding roos nice and hot maybe?

 

[crazypetlady]

I just found out my bator had just run at 102 for the last hatch, I got a digital theromometer and pitched the cheapie. I had a low htch rate 40% but it was on shipped eggs. My last batch ran at the 102 as well it will be intressting to see if I have more hens than roos due to the temp. I am running at 99.7-100.5 right now, what will REALLY make a difference is now I know the humidity on my new unit rather than guessing, so I al expecting a bigger hatch on my shipped eggs, hopefully.

 

[Arielle]

I use ACV in most of my waterers anyway to reduce slime, the plastic ones only. I had read that it can influence the ratios to favor the females. I am planning to test it my self next spring. Set up several trials. I have hatched out a number of chicks this year from the same hen, so I will try to use these pullets bred to the same rooster.

THis has the effect in the hen at time at/before fertilization. I thought it cheap enough to test the theory. It may effect the tract and favor the female sperm over the male sperm. THis is all theory at this point. In horses, it's not unusual to see a mare have mostly girls or boys. I have a mare that had 5 girls, a boy and another girl. Her tract favors girls. 6:1

As for the chicken houses--sometimes they have their head stuck in the sand and can only see modern methods using drugs and chemicals; it's possible they missed this one. I would need more evidence to say yes or no on the ACV.

 

[pips&peeps]

the egg determines the sex of the bird in chickens, not the sperm

 

[Katy]

Somebody told me that eggs hatched in the fall hatch more pullets. Last fall I set 42 BLRW eggs from my own hens. 37 eggs hatched......only 3 or 4 were pullets. So much for that theory. There are a million theories out there......I wouldn't bet the farm on any of them being true.

 

[Phage]

What do people know about dangling a magnet on a string over an animal or even an egg, and watching how it "moves" to determine sex ???

Sounds unlikely to me

 

[Bantam Username]

LOL, I tried that on myself when I was pregnant and the darn thing couldn't make up its mind!

 

[Katy]

Quote:
I think you have a 50/50 chance of it being correct.