Why So Many Males?????

[Toast n Jelly]

I had one silkie hen for a number of years that only threw male offspring except for one lovely female that died shortly after my determining her sex.

 

[elmo]

Unless your chickens have sex linked colors, I think you have to wait until secondary sex characteristics develop (comb, wattles, etc., or crowing!). Either that, or know someone who can sex chicks by looking at their little bottoms, as they do at the big hatcheries (and even that isn't 100 percent accurate).

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I heard giving apple cider viniger to the breeding stock does something, and the acidity helps to kill off the male sperm. IDK. I heard rabbit breeders use that to get more females. Last year I gave my breeding stock viniger, and all were females except for around 5 roosters. Did a hatch several weeks after the were off the ACV and it was around 50/50 males/females.

 

[Cindiloohoo]

My hatches have been consistently 30-33% male and the rest females. Before AND after giving them ACV..so I dunno that has anything to do with it either. I would like to know how if it does. That would be an interesting way to stack the proverbial deck against too many roos.

 

[minifarmgurl1]

wow this is all sooo interesting! thanks everyone i am enjoying reading all of these!..keep it up!

 

[Bluemoon420]

Yeah, I dont think the ACV works. Been giving mine ACV for the past year and half. First hatch, didn't go well ( For various reasons...Long story) I had one male, one female. Second hatch...7 boys, one girl it looks like. There are a couple in question still, but my guess is male.

I have a third hatch in now, some are different breeds then before. So, we shall see what I end up with.

Bluemoon

 

[msteresaann]

When I first started incubating quail, I asked a reputable breeder why I got all males. This was his reply:

It’s not entirely uncommon to hatch a bunch of males, but it is usually caused by problems during incubation which have killed most of the female embryos. Studies have shown that the female embryos are less tolerant of incubation issues and are more easily killed by them. I would guess that the temperature might have been a little high in your incubator, which might have killed some of the embryos very early, and also would have made them appear to be infertile. There’s no way to tell for sure, but that’s a guess at what might have happened.

I have read this in various places since.

 

[Andy J]

I have been incubating eggs for years with good hatching rates.The problem is I average about 60% males to females.It's very annoying since no one wants roosters except for the occasional need for a breeding rooster.

Andy J

 

[FireTigeris]

Nothing you give orally is going to matter- the sex chromosome will matter, the female has the deciding sex chromosome, opposite of mammals -

 

[eggsited chickens]

i hope my girls were smart!