What determines males or females in hatching eggs?

[sticks22]

What determines the sex of chicks, temputures or is there something else?

 

[scooter147]

Determined just like most creatures, luck of the draw!

 

[ravenfeathers]

genetics. in some reptiles, environmental conditions will determine gender, but not in birds.

 

[patandchickens]

Chromosomes. Like in humans.

Except that in humans, it is males who carry 2 different chromosomes (XY) while females carry two copies of the same one(XX), so that it is whichever one is in a particular sperm cell that determines the sex of a particular offspring.

Whereas in chickens, it is the female who carries the 2 different chromosomes (ZW) while the male carries two copies of the same (ZZ) so it is effectively the HEN whose reproductive cell (ovum) determines each chick's sex.

You may be thinking of certain reptiles, such as crocodiles and alligators, where sex of the offspring is determined by what temperature an egg is incubated at. T'aint that way in chickens.

Pat

 

[Mrs MIA]

Whoa... I just learned something new! LOL!
Thanks Pat!

 

[Bluedog420]

If the egg's are rounded on the end it will be a pullet....pointed egg's are roo's

 

[Mrs MIA]

If that were the case, I should have a LOT more pullets than I do...

 

[speckledhen]

Quote:
Nope, no way. Every yolk already has the sex of the chick programmed into it, even before it's fertilized. Boy, if that was the case about the rounded/pointed, then Lexie wouldnt be throwing mostly cockerels lately.

 

[goldensunriseranch]

I agree the egg shape has to do with how the hen is built/shaped in the area where the soft egg shell hardens before being laid. Nothing to do with the gender. You just can't tell from the outside of an egg.

 

[EweSheep]

In humans and horses, its a known fact that its the male that determined the sex of the offspring. I am not sure if it applies to roosters.