Who's had hatches with all or mostly pullets?

[LikeTurkeys]

80% of my hatches are mostly pullets. You would be forgiven to think that most are cockerels because the only time you see posts is when people are complaining. Most people don't complain about too many pullets.

I know, but you'd think they would celebrate it more. I know I would . Do the genetics of the parents play a difference in the pullet to cockerel ratio? Like, if I had all roosters in a hatch consistently from one hen, does that mean I should stop hatching from her?

 

[Alexandra33]

Recently, my flock hatched out two sets of chicks.....4 total. 3 pullets, and 1 cockerel. Quite honestly, this is extremely disappointing for someone who LOVES roosters. I'm probably one of the only people who would happily end up with a male majority, and what do I get? Pullets. It never fails. Same principle applies to every straight run batch of bantams I've bought. Perhaps hoping for females would work?

If I seem bitter, that's because I am.

~Alex

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I know, but you'd think they would celebrate it more. I know I would . Do the genetics of the parents play a difference in the pullet to cockerel ratio? Like, if I had all roosters in a hatch consistently from one hen, does that mean I should stop hatching from her?

Well since the hen does determine the sex of the offspring due to the Z W chromosomes, whether you stop hatching her eggs is up to you and your situation.
Since I'm down to one primary rooster - thanks to coyotes and raccoons - I was pretty happy that of the 3 recent hatches, two ended up being heavy on cockerels. I usually keep a minimum of 5 primary roosters. That means I have to start with about 30 or 40 each year. After eliminating 20 I definitely don't want to use for breeding, that leaves me with the 5 best and 5 backups.

 

[ChickenLady♡]

I had 5 pullets from 6 hatchlings in my first hatch under a broody hen. It was in winter though, so I wondered if that made a difference. I have my second hatch due in 2 days (under the same broody) so we'll see what we get!

 

[333113]

I believe that ChickenCanoe is right. I had a single comb Nankin hen who produced mostly pullets (7 out of 8, 6 out of 8, 7 out of 9), and out of her offspring I have several Nankin hens who produce mostly pullets. A couple years back I crossed them into my rose comb Nankins and now have two rose comb Nankin hens who produce mostly pullets (between them this past year, 6 out of 8, 6 out of 7, 5 out of 6, 5 out of 6).
There is a lot more to the selection process than just the pullet-cockerel ratio, of course.

My rose comb cockerel from the 6 out of 7 hatch this spring was best of breed at the Tulsa State Fair this year:

 

[toredano]

9 eggs and all girls ... one was a white Serama/Silkie mix.. cute as can be.. others are Cochin/Serama mixes..And all got hatched out by her.. no incubator needed..

 

[Noah Way Farm]

I hatched 9 Easter Eggers last month and only 3 are roos. Those eggs were refrigerated though, which *some* people say reduces the number of male chicks. I set 13 eggs, and 4 didn't develop, so maybe those were the roos - that would have made it closer to 50/50.
Oh, and that wasn't why I refrigerated the eggs - originally, I had no plan to incubate them.

 

[333113]

That's just the thing. If one hatches hundreds or thousands of eggs, they will be close to 50:50.
Hatching less than 10 eggs at a time will skew the ratios a great deal.

True, but the hen determines the sex so it is possible to select hens that have more pullets than cockerels.

I do know that I have some hens who consistently produce more girls than boys. However, I do not know why this happens.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

True, but the hen determines the sex so it is possible to select hens that have more pullets than cockerels.

I do know that I have some hens who consistently produce more girls than boys. However, I do not know why this happens.

My first thought is that it is like a man that fathers all boys or all girls.
My wife's sister has had 7 girls.

 

[mandelyn]

Hatching hen by hen will show you which hens tend to produce more females.

Personally we don't mind the boys since we're dual purpose. A boy heavy Bresse hatch is not a bad thing! Last year my Marans were boy heavy, didn't mind with them since they're a chunky line and I needed the best roosters I could get for breeding and they gave ample to choose from.

A long time ago I was collecting eggs from Pekin ducks from the shores of a lake, EVERY single one I hatched was female. Crazy!