Can we hatch just female chicks?

Most people want laying hens, but when we hatch baby chicks, about half of them turn out to be roosters. Is it possible to hatch only female chicks? Well, maybe ...
These are the links to my other videos mentioned in this one:
Why are eggs egg-shaped?
• Hens lay eggs blunt en...
What makes a chicken a hen or a rooster? - the genetics
• Chicken Genetics 3 - s...
How to make colour-coded chicks so you can tell the boys from the girls at hatching
• Chicken Genetics 4 - s...
For more fascinating facts, hints and tips about caring for your chickens, and the sheer pleasure of chickens, subscribe to my channel: Chickens in my garden - New Zealand
/ chickensinmygarden
Catch up with me on Facebook / chickensinmygarden

[@meninsilau]

This video should be KZbin recommendation. I vote for it. 12 minutes full of information that can be more than hours in others channel. Thank you very much, I love it.

[@chickensinmygarden]

Thank you. I do like to share with you real information that I have checked out is factual. And I do find it fascinating to find out things. Thank you for your compliment.

[@paigettie]

I used the pointy/rounded egg trick and got 10/10 hens with it. I've ALWAYS gotten half hens and half roos before I tried it. So as someone who had actually tried that method, it worked. I'm excited for another hen to go Broody so I can try out again, because 10/10 is more than a coincidence.

[@summerrose4978]

Same here, we tested it out and had hens

[@elisabethbednarczyk2139]

I have hens that lay very round eggs. And when hatched I get both hens and Roos. So I don’t see how your method can work when hens generally always lay the exact same type of egg. It can’t be possible for a particular hen to always hatch the same sex.

[@chickensinmygarden]

Quite right. If the sample size is large enough and the tests adequately control the variables, the evidence shows that method definitely doesn't work

[@chickensinmygarden]

However, since (unlike mammals) it is the hen's genetic contribution that determines the sex of the chick, it is possible for one individual hen to tend to throw more of one sex than the other.

[@katewang6048]

Very interesting, because I hear even same method in Chinese countries

[@robinsouth8555]

I am so glad I found your video, getting ready to incubate some chicken eggs this year. No trying to over think it, just do it. I have 3 hens and 1 rooster, who lay more than enough eggs for my husband and I, but they will be slowing down this year or next. So wanting to add some hens, and don't want to worry about outside diseases and viruses. Thanks again

[@chickensinmygarden]

Excellent. It's wonderful to hatch chicks - quite the most exciting part of keeping chickens. Do check out some of my other videos in the playlist about hatching chicks 🙂

[@marc5297]

Very interesting, thank you. You always make great, well researched videos and your technical expertise improves each time.

[@amclamb9543]

One of the most intriguing videos about chickens I've ever watched! You've earned another subscriber! Will be sharing your videos in some chicken groups on social media as well.

[@chickensinmygarden]

Thank you I appreciate that 🙂

[@gingerstinyfarm3201]

I've rescued 2 adorable chicks from becoming cat's meal last July 18,a yellow/white color I named Lovely Pearl,and a black one 23 days ago I named baby Plum.I have no idea/experience about raising chickens but I felt taking them out of their tiny cage and into the front yard so they can eat grasses,small worms,exercise and sunlight is best for these little babies.They follow me around,they panic if I'm out of their sight, I always carry the tiny cage wherever I go bathroom,kitchen garden.I did not expect they could be so sweet they're my little loves now.I learn so much from your videos esp what to feed them. These babies here must not be slaughtered.They must live a full life.They earned it.Thank you I'm a new subscriber.

[@chickensinmygarden]

How wonderful! I know you will have lots of fun with lovely pearl and baby plum. I'm glad you find my videos helpful. Thanks for watching and subscribing 🙂

[@johannabennion]

This was so informative! Thank you for do this research!

[@chickensinmygarden]

Thank you. I found it fascinating so I just had to share 🙂

[@christieheyblom]

Very interesting video! Doesn’t help anyone, but definitely gave me some great new topics to discuss at dinner parties haha. Thank you for sharing

[@chickensinmygarden]

😄 Just saying "No, probably not" wouldn't have been as much fun, and no-one would have believed it. Thanks for watching.

[@sherifebegu6260]

0.53 that cute little rooster is 😍

[@chickensinmygarden]

They are so cute when they are just learning how to make that sound 🙂

[@turdferguson1021]

Love it!!! All the way from Louisiana, USA.

[@chickensinmygarden]

Thank you 😊 I hope you're keeping safe and happy all the way over there. It's many years since we were there but we have fond memories of the people. And the food.

[@leeshorey2063]

Thanks so much for your explanation of male vs female I started raising naked neck chicken because my neighbor had chickens and I wanted to be able to tell who were my chickens and they are different I have a few hens and I'm incubating eggs and have gotten more males than females lucky I guess 😢 . But your video helped me very much thanks

[@chickensinmygarden]

Wow - naked necks sure are different! 🙂 Sorry I can't help you get more females, but at least I'm glad I could help you tell the difference. Best wishes

[@leeshorey2063]

@@chickensinmygarden lol now I wish more of the world would get the hint about the male vs female 🙄 and that you can't change it lol 😆

[@JUSTINandKADI]

Your Anconas are so much fun!! We bought one chick this year, and I’m hoping for a white-egg-laying hen!!

[@chickensinmygarden]

They are lots of fun and/but very flighty. Leghorns have a reputation for being flighty but Anconas take it to a whole other level. Anconas are the only chickens I ever had that went visiting the neighbours - everyone else was content with two acres

[@dhypeng]

Fascinating! Automation and technology is truly the future!

[@sweetshenanigans2535]

My hen Pearl has been OBSESSED with roosting for a long time now and the prospect of getting her eggs has started to come up. We had to give her sister Ebony fertile eggs a few years ago from Craigslist because she refused to stop roosting and it was effecting her health. The problem was, she only hatched one chick and it was a boy. We live in the city limits and couldn't legally keep him, so when he started to crow, we had to give him away. And since we keep them primarily as pets just like a dog or cat, there was a lot of heartbreak and we don't want to have to do that again. So I'm trying to figure something out.

[@chickensinmygarden]

Maybe your luck will be better this time. Fingers crossed for you.

[@allclairesbears]

Could you get day old chicks from a sex link breed? Give the hen fake eggs, and once the chicks are available switch the eggs out for the newborn chicks

[@joyg8904]

Best chicken information channel. Thank you

[@chickensinmygarden]

Thank you so much ☺

[@Javed1982]

Very well done. Very informative thank you

[@chickensinmygarden]

Thank you very much 🙂

[@StaceyHerewegrowagain]

Very interesting thanks for sharing

[@chickensinmygarden]

Thank you for watching and commenting 🙂

[@donscottvansandt4139]

So happy to have found your channel... there's a lot of b.s. channels... I was born a city boy but fell in love with the natural world early and now have a few birds and other animals lol because I didn't grow up around chickens... I have read a few books. And it helps to get the scientific facts.

[@chickensinmygarden]

Hi there. I'm glad you found my channel. I don't post videos frequently because it takes me about a month to make each one, but I do think they are all still relevant so there's now quite a few to watch. Have a great day 🙂

[@animeshmandal7147]

Just loved it. Fully researched and authentic information. Just facts no bullshit. 😊

[@chickensinmygarden]

Thank you. That's exactly the kind of videos I always try to make 🙂

[@nirvana0136]

Same 🙂

[@mx-pyro]

Great content as usual. Cheers from Mexico

[@chickensinmygarden]

Thank you. And hello to you in Mexico. I bet you have really interesting breeds of chickens there.

[@mx-pyro]

@@chickensinmygarden: It's harder to get heritage breeds here. I can get RIR's and Barred Rocks and get Black Rock children. Other than that it's a bunch of game hens, which I adore for making the best mothers. We are a very chicken friendly culture.

[@chickensinmygarden]

We have similar problems because New Zealand has very strict import laws and we are not allowed to import new breeds. The game birds are quite rare here.

[@JD-dh7bk]

Lovely video. I do plan on hatching some of my hens eggs soon. As like everyone else I've been concerned about getting all roosters. I have a rooster now. He's mean. No, I will not be culling him. Nor do l want to do that to any of his offspring. I just worry about having too many roos.. I guess I still have some thinking to do.

[@chickensinmygarden]

Having too many roosters is always a problem if your aim is to have hens for eggs. Personally I would not breed from a mean rooster unless there was no other option (and there are usually plenty of roosters going cheap), but if you do, then keep the nicest of his sons for future breeding. Best of luck 🙂

[@chickensinmygarden]

Oh, and don't judge their personality until they are full grown - about 10 months old. Until then their behaviour is more due to their low status in the pecking order. Many a friendly young chick suddenly turns impossible to control once he hits puberty.

[@livinginthenow]

I wonder if major hatcheries in the US will be starting to use these techniques soon. It would make things so much simpler for everyone involved.

[@chickensinmygarden]

It's certainly becoming mainstream in Europe but I haven't read any mention of it in the US.

[@nobodyspecial8102]

THANKYOU 😀 For share your expertise

[@chickensinmygarden]

Thank you for watching 🙂

[@dracasweet]

Excellent video. Thank you.

[@chickensinmygarden]

Thank you. Do check out some of my other videos 🙂

[@vimalcherangode2208]

Very helpful

[@langdonowen161]

Dang you've done your research; ill sub for that

[@chickensinmygarden]

Thanks 🙂 The research and development work is continuing. Expect the eggs in your supermarket to be more like this soon

[@cynthialouw2970]

Thanks for sharing! So so interesting

[@chickensinmygarden]

Thank you 🙂

[@meanqkie2240]

Thanks for the thorough examination of the old wives tales methods. I sort of feel the same way about the theory of evolution that birds were reptiles. Close examination of all the characteristics that differ pretty much relegates that to the OWT bin as well.

[@chickensinmygarden]

I think it's more complicated than most people have really thought about. To even understand a claim like "birds were reptiles" we need to have a common understanding of What is a bird? What is a reptile? How far back in prehistory is the past and what is the present? The briefest summary is that about 300 million years ago dinosaurs split away from the ancestors of lizards, snakes and other animals we recognise as modern reptiles. This line split again into the ancestors of crocodiles (which are unlike other reptiles) and the therapod dinosaurs. With lots more time and diversification the therapod dinosaurs developed into the ancestors of birds, of which the earliest is probably Archaeornithura. So birds are (present tense, not past tense) hot-blooded feathered dinosaurs. However you look at it, chickens are pretty amazing as well as fun 🙂

[@Fanama7]

Very interesting. Never heard of thé température trick! I would like to try. What is the lowest conservation temperature and the highest hatching temperature to encourage only female chicks to develop and hatch please? Thank you so much it would help me a lot. I am accumulating roosters 😂! as I am unable to eat or harm them….And the young chicks each spring are still a must for me breeding.

[@pseudopetrus]

You have a chicken just like Austin Powers!

[@reneebrown2968]

I figure that roosters get cooked the hens stay to lay eggs. I just got rid of 4 roos

[@littlefarminthecountry8976]

Thank you, great information ❤

[@chickensinmygarden]

Thank you 🙂

[@willekenieuwboer15]

Very interessting! Thank you for your clear explination! (Sorry if my spelling is incorrect. I'm dutch )

[@chickensinmygarden]

Thank you. And greetings to you in the Nederlands.

[@willekenieuwboer15]

@@chickensinmygarden Thank you! I appreciate you answering me! I hope you enjoy your chickens as much as I do. I have 3 Cochin Bantam hens to love and take care of

[@chickensinmygarden]

I do indeed! Chickens are such fun!

[@willekenieuwboer15]

@@chickensinmygarden They sure are! They all have thier identakle personality

[@abrad3061]

Thank you enjoying your channel

[@chickensinmygarden]

Thank you for saying so.

[@saethman]

Well done! Could one (time-consuming) alternative be through selective breeding? I.e could it be that some hens' genetics somewhat favour one gender (say 60/40 instead of 50/50), or should we expect virtually all hens to have a 50/50 distribution?

[@chickensinmygarden]

It seems that it ought to be possible that some hens would have slightly more or fewer of one sex chicks in which case it ought to be possible to select for that trait. But I've not heard of it being done in any deliberate way. And of course it would be counterproductive for a line to have 100% females - without males the line would die out. But maybe 60/40 or 70/30 which would certainly be an improvement. Someone should try it. If someone has tried it then I assume they failed 🤔

[@Duckiee64]

@@chickensinmygardenI have a hen and I’ve only used her eggs to get females(she has cool looking offspring to)because I have never gotten a male from her eggs which is very odd.

[@chickensinmygarden]

I guess it's kind of like where some families have all girls and no boys.

[@renata3559]

Last week i hatched my first batch of chicks at my place and found a fascinating thing which let me yo this video. The plan is to have them be laying henns at my work. I ordered 22 eggs, 3 of them were longer in shape the others all more the traditional egg shape. I now have 13 chicks and tried the wing method of sex determination. I found, if this is valid, i would have 1 rooster and 12 henns. I looked back at the eggs that didn't hatch and the notes i took and found this 1 possibly only rooster came from one of the longer eggs, the other 2 never hatched. I would love to believe the methods are right, gonna try it out a next time

[@chickensinmygarden]

Good luck.

[@headpainter1]

As a male, I feel a bit threatened. Lol. Great video.

[@chickensinmygarden]

Thank you. I'm glad you liked the video. Thanks for commenting 🙂

[@robertsobek6177]

thank you for the vid.

[@chickensinmygarden]

Thanks for watching 🙂

[@JangteyTangdong-d2k]

Will it work for duck????

[@chickensinmygarden]

Everything I say up to minute 8.40 should also apply to ducks. Unfortunately the huge lab equipment has not been applied to ducks, but then it's not available for backyard chicken owners either.

[@erwinfilius818]

What kind of chooks are the speckled ones in the background of this video?

[@chickensinmygarden]

They are Ancona - it's a breed originally from Italy. They lay lots of white-shelled eggs. But they are rather flighty and can be rather talkative!

[@DianeJarecki]

This was very interesting! I learned a lot about chickens and what you said about why the avian dinosaurs survived makes sense...but then it makes me question how crocodiles and alligators survived since they're also from that period, as are salamanders. 🤔

[@chickensinmygarden]

Crocodiles etc were never dinosaurs, they were always reptiles.

[@chickensinmygarden]

I just checked for crocodiles (which were around during the time of dinosaurs by the way). At temperatures below 31.7C, the eggs hatch into female crocodiles. At temperatures between 31.7C and 34.5C the eggs hatch into male dinosaurs. And at temperatures above 34.5C the eggs hatch into female dinosaurs. I guess the temperature of crocodile egg incubation depends on the climate and also where the eggs are laid (sunny sand, deep in shady sand, etc) Amazing, isn't it 🙂

[@DianeJarecki]

@@chickensinmygarden Right, but you listed them as having temperature sensitive eggs for gender as well I thought...reptiles in general. Turtles have also survived, though maybe only certain species of them would be in danger from a temperature change.

[@DianeJarecki]

@@chickensinmygarden I've always been fascinated by genetics of all species! Fun stuff! Interesting about the temperature and climate with crocs.

[@chickensinmygarden]

I'm certainly not an expert in this field but I also find it fascinating

[@petracreser]

Thanks lady, I was getting a bit frustrated with the old wives tales. Be happy with what you get. I'm getting a quality incubator, will check out the Dutch company, otherwise I've got the British make brinsea.

[@chickensinmygarden]

Brinsea is an excellent brand. I was never able to afford one for the small amount of hatching that I do, but the cheaper incubator that I got has done really well for me although it's quite manual - you might have seen my videos about it. Good luck with your hatching. I'm glad you have a plan for the boys 🙂 kzbin.info/www/bejne/f2fVdoVtl7Weo9E kzbin.info/www/bejne/nmnRgXSolt-Jga8

[@petracreser]

@@chickensinmygarden thanks for your videos, I certainly will be listening and relistening to them. The brinsea I'm getting is fully automated for 56 eggs. Keep you posted in the next few weeks /months.

[@bessforman1773]

We make a gumbo with the male chicks at around 30 days old.

[@chickensinmygarden]

Are they fiddly to pluck and dress out?

[@bessforman1773]

@@chickensinmygarden They are normally around the size of a quail. If you keep them any longer than that you're just wasting feed.

[@YSLRD]

Lol. We need her voice now more than ever. Male is male.

[@tomaskonopasek769]

interesting

[@chickensinmygarden]

Thank you

[@francesmitzielasuncion4649]

Can we hatch an egg layed thru layer feeding ma'am. Imean commercial eggs.

[@chickensinmygarden]

Most unlikely. Commercial eggs are usually from huge flocks of female hens and zero roosters, so there is no chance of an egg being fertile. However perhaps some countries sell eggs from smaller chicken farms that have a rooster as well as the hens, in which case you could hatch those eggs.

[@headpainter1]

I have heard about people that have done this with success but the chances would be very low and not worth the effort.

[@greywither0198]

We cannot mam

[@TT3TT3]

Folks can adopt older hens that would otherwise be sent to slaughter and give them a second chance. Though I'm itching to hatch some chicks - I'm holding off cause I don't want to kill the roosters. Ever since I started keeping hens I no longer eat chicken.🐔💛

[@chickensinmygarden]

I don't either but it's more because I feel so sorry for the conditions that commercial meat chickens are raised in.

[@readingroomcafeproject]

my girls don't have a male, so non of them are fertilised. My youngest lays long thin eggs, the other older ones lay fat round ones.

[@chickensinmygarden]

Thanks for commenting and sharing that 🙂

[@freespirit1411]

Very interesting Sheryl! Fascinating to know that some commercial growers can weed out the almost useless males 😆

[@rickpearce4802]

Not useless. BBQ 18 week rooster legs still taste like tender chicken.

[@santosh-ye9nj]

🙂

[@Mary-had-a-lil-farm]

Can you use the roosters as meat! At least then your not just killing them for no good reason. At what age would they be harvested? Thank you.

[@chickensinmygarden]

Yes you can. You can harvest them whenever you think they are big enough. How long that takes depends on the breed but would likely be about 6 months.

[@TomiaMacQueen]

If you want faster growing males for meat you could keep dual purpose heritage chickens and process the males at 16 weeks for meat.

[@jillianstolling2602]

Many companies in the US use the male chicks as a feed base, for egg production only breeds, or sell the duel purpose ones as a meat option in special packages labeled as all rooster. This way no chick is wasted, even if it is a bit sad to know so many males are dying.

[@MeBeingAble]

Do you have a degree? Cayse a university in Sydney did studies and found you can influence the sex by temp BEFORE incubation. They dont do overnight studies either

[@chickensinmygarden]

I would be very interested to follow that up. Do you have a reference for it please?

[@dapperdoggy]

Poor little male chicks

[@chickensinmygarden]

Yes 😔

[@potocatepetl]

Some bio farmers in Germany who do not kill the male chicks put a small note in the egg cartons to remind people to consider buying the chiken meat as well.

[@chickensinmygarden]

That's a lovely idea 🙂

[@cm8291]

Thank you for mentioning the connection to global warming and the leatherbacks.

[@chickensinmygarden]

You're welcome 🙂

[@reneebrown2968]

The only way I know to ensure the sex of the chicks. Basically it works because they are temperature dependent. It's not that all will be boys or girls. But the boys won't hatch if it's cooler and the hens won't hatch if it's too hot. I know this to be fact with quail

[@estherrogers9524]

Do people raise capons anymore

[@chickensinmygarden]

I expect they still do in France, perhaps around Bresse, which is famous for very tender and tasty chickens.

[@valerianpinto5067]

Madam if don't mind what's your qualifications. Love from India 🇮🇳

[@chickensinmygarden]

I am retired now, after a professional career in medical science. But I still keep chickens, as I have done for nearly 20 years 🙂

[@payntpot7623]

@@chickensinmygarden Well, my guess was incorrect. I had wondered if you were perhaps a secondary school biology teacher? I enjoy your videos. I have subscribed and will now continue to learn more. Thank you.

[@chickensinmygarden]

Thank you. I'm afraid I would not have had the patience to be a teacher but I do thoroughly enjoy learning and sharing knowledge 🙂

[@Jacksprat265]

I honestly thought the male chicks were raised to be KFC 😬

[@chickensinmygarden]

The chicks raised for eating are a special breed developed to grow really fast. And they are still very young when we eat them, although huge for their age.

[@reneebrown2968]

I hatched 6 eggs. All of which were roosters. That sucks. I'm just going to buy some sexed chicks.

[@chickensinmygarden]

That's the way it goes sometimes. At least with sexed chicks you should get what you expect

[@headpainter1]

Twice I bought sexed chicks and ended up with multiple roos. Gotta know what you're looking for. If you can't have roos in your town, you can locate a breeder that sells teenagers to make sure and get girls.

[@atkgrl]

Baby chicks yes are adorable and just so wonderful to watch and interact with and want you to make more. Which is why I am here my cousin wants to kill all the male chickens so of course I only want to hatch females. Wise people understand if you keep a chicken you can eat every day for years but if you kill it you eat once! I wont go into all the issues like chemicals pushed into the animals causing human females to breast at early ages or causing cancer, nor even what is happening to your brain and body once you eat meat nor will I discuss the religious aspects of animals receiving the first blessing but right now I would like everyone to understand that Chickens are a clock of day and season and could be used for Management Science. They have a plan and move about the neighborhood covering their territory ensuring the grass is checked and bugs consumed as well as alerting residents of intruders. They are sensitive to humans and will come the minute they hear my voice following me around the yard or coming from houses down the block to my voice if I decided to call them for a treat. If I leave to run to the neighborhood store, they will be at the garage waiting for my return then get excited to see me. They are very friendly and really pay attention if I try to communicate with them in their language. I never intended on getting chickens but my neighbor had purchased some babies from Tractor Supply but then had a heart attack (bad lifestyle habits). So instead of killing them or starving them to death with them just packing and leaving without caring for their responsibilities I bought them for a few dollars. Anyway I now supply the whole neighborhood with eggs and what is the egg price right now, well over $5.00 and free range $12 but mine are completely free to do as they wish and I don’t charge the neighbors for bug control nor helping their lawn with free fertilizer. I have watched many of the new chicken videos with people discussing buying them cabbage or noodle all of which is ONLY for chickens penned up in cages the chickens I have or really that have me do not care about such things but do like the grubs as treats and I have wondered if its only because they are bug adverse and love clean environments because heaven forbid if I spill some on the backs of the chickens they get traumatized. I found barn kittens because they told me the little kittens were there and now I have little kittens taking care of mice and what I hate most of all Snakes! UGH anyway back to happy positive life fulfilling life forms that we need and really make our lives full and have given me a great respect for the orchestration of the planets schedule; Chickens, Bugs, Birds, Bats, Possums etc. Anyway this is a wonderful video thank you.

[@ar007r]

how do you ban killing chicks? How else do you hatch specific ratios of males to females? Obviously noone is going to listen to those laws. Also, how are you supposed to be happy with what you get? If you are feeding your family with these chickens isnt the proporation of males to females pretty important? I dont think a few unenforcable laws are going to stop homesteaders from doing what needs to be done to maintain their flocks.

[@TT3TT3]

The laws are for big commercial operations.

[@coziii.1829]

Roosters are for meat Hello not hard

[@thegreenberretwearingbrony9678]

The normal people know,the retards won't listen :/