Predetermining rooster to hen ratio in hatches

[Bat]

So we generally hatch more roosters than hens but this season we have so far hatched 7 confirmed and 2 suspected roosters out of 9 hatched chicks. That seems spectacularly unlikely.

Does anyone have any similar experiences? Is it luck of the draw or, for example, are roosters more hardy in the egg? Is there any link between humidity (I think our humidity may have been on the high side) and sex as observed in reptile species such as sea turtles and alligators?

All our eggs (apart from control groups from our own flock) have been shipped so could that have any bearing? All our control eggs hatched roosters too.

This has been a total washout so far!

 

[Ridgerunner]

That sounds pretty darn familiar. It is normal for my hatches to be 2/3 of one sex, could be either sex. A 3 to 1 split isn't unusual. An actual 50-50 or close to it is fairly rare, but they do happen. I don't know how many chicks you hatch in a year but I find over a two year period with 40 to 45 chicks a year my overall average is pretty close to 50-50. That's even when I get 15 cockerels and 4 pullets in one hatch. A 7 out of 7 pullet hatch doesn't totally balance it but helps.

There are all kinds of theories on the forum about predetermining sex but I'll offer one observation. If any of them work why aren't the professionals using them?

 

[Bat]

That sounds pretty darn familiar. It is normal for my hatches to be 2/3 of one sex, could be either sex. A 3 to 1 split isn't unusual. An actual 50-50 or close to it is fairly rare, but they do happen. I don't know how many chicks you hatch in a year but I find over a two year period with 40 to 45 chicks a year my overall average is pretty close to 50-50. That's even when I get 15 cockerels and 4 pullets in one hatch. A 7 out of 7 pullet hatch doesn't totally balance it but helps.

There are all kinds of theories on the forum about predetermining sex but I'll offer one observation. If any of them work why aren't the professionals using them?

On your last point: there’s the truth!

This is our 2nd year hatching. Last year we had 3 hens and 6 roosters. We did hatch 6 vorwerk which was 100% success rate and 2 roosters to 4 hens but unfortunately they got too big and weren’t being very fair to our bantams so we rehomed them as two mini flocks.

We’re just slowly building up a small garden flock of assorted bantams but losing a lot of chickens due to being roosters along with a lot of time, chick feed and integration attempts/necessity until we’re sure they have to go.

 

[Bat]

Just went and ordered 6 serama and 6 sebright - so we'll see.

Meanwhile, we have the following notable friendly lads that we haven't eliminated yet:
Minorca (elegant, bounding and meek)
White Wyandotte (beautiful, soft, likes catching flies and sitting on laps)
Black Silkie (a bit skittish if you don't have any treats, many toes and big eyes)
B&W Cochin/Pekin Frizzle (very calm and happy to be handled)