[gsc]

Do you agree with this?

On the basis of extensive research, it is now accepted as fact that female chicks are equally probable as male chicks.  There is no bias toward one sex or the other.  Given good incubation techniques, one should hatch equal numbers of male and female chicks if a statistically valid (large enough) sample of eggs is incubated.  However, it is believed that female embryos are preferentially killed by fluctuations in incubation conditions.

[dizzylizzie]

yes- to a point.....if you only have 10 or 20 eggs, it will probably not be even

[gsc]

I guess it will be down to luck and whether I do my homework and not mess up the incubation. 

Got 6 Copper Blue Marans eggs, about 8 eggs from my local lady (Lavender Araucana,Black Silie,Cream Legbar) and I am dithering over getting another 6 Copper Blues, 6 Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons, or 6 Porcelain Sablefoot Bantams.

It's the boys I am concerned about.  Would like to not have to put them in the pot but realistically .........

[Casey76]

While, in theory, if you hatch enough the ratio should be 50:50, there can seem to be a bias if you only hatch small numbers.

I was fairly lucky - out of 5 LF which hatched, I got three girls and 2 boys (I think  )

[gsc]

Lol Casey - how soon before you know for sure?

I guess the smaller the numbers probably also means  all sorts of other factors come in to play, like how long to collect the eggs, where they come from, experience, quality of equipment etc.

[chuckie.egg]

We've hatcher 3 lots of 7 eggs, and every time had more boys than girls.

[gsc]

We've hatcher 3 lots of 7 eggs, and every time had more boys than girls.

Will prob happen to me too  but I guess 20 isn't enought to prove anything statistically.

Just out of curiosity what  incubator of you using?  Does it have things like humidity and temperature control, auto-turning, airflow etc.?  Not sure how much difference all of it will make. :blink:

[Casey76]

I don't know... whey the crow I suppose lol!

One *might* be an auracana, but the feather growth is way slower than the others I think are girls.  I have two CB Marans, one boy one girl - I could tell at 1 day... it's much easier when you have another of the same breed to compare against!

[GrannieAnnie]

I think it depends on the genes of the chickens too.  Out of the 12 eggs I got from another lovely forum member last year of Rhode Islands Reds, 6 were fertile.  1 died in the shell (girl maybe?)  out of the 5 survivors we had 3 boys and 2 girls,

BUT.........

Out of the 30 Appenzellar eggs I incubated last summer, we had 24 chicks and as far as I know, only one was a boy.  I do know that of the 16 I kept then sold, all of them were girls and I sold the other 8 to someone who said he only had the one boy.  He said they call them pullet throwers as they beget more girls than boys.

[gsc]

Wow - GrannieAnnie - I'm sure there must be something there - I guess like twins running in families etc. -  exceptions to every rule.

[Casey76]

Wow!  I'd better start incubating Appenzellars! (you'd think they'd be easy enough to get here (being so much closer to Appenzel)... but no lol