MORE FEMALES PER HATCH
Increasing the number of female chickens by feeding the hens sorghum seeds.
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Dr. N.W. Walker (D. Sc., Ph.D.) claims that you can use
sorghum seeds to get ...
Some years ago, while doing research on the properties of
sorghum seed, I discovered that a genetic female hormone
was quite prevalent in these small, glossy kernels.
I had a feeling that this sorghum hormone could, perhaps,
influence the percentage of female birds hatched, and-to
check this "hunch"I set up an experiment using zebra
finches ... which (because they regularly hatch up to four
eggs a month) seemed the best choice available to me.
Before I began the research, these birds had hatched out a
predictable half-and-half mixture of male and female
finches.
I decided to keep a full dish of sorghum seeds in the
aviary at all times and watch for developments.
At first the birds didn't show much interest in the new
food, but-in the course of three or four weeks-they began
to feed on the sorghum before moving on to their regular
feeders ... and they followed this pattern both morning and
evening. Then, after two or three months, I began to notice
an increase In the number of female birds hatched.
In fact, by the end of the first year of
sorghum-supplemented feeding, my finches produced close to
four female birds for every male hatched! Unfortunately,
other (and, at the moment, more important) matters
interrupted my experiments before I could take the time to
See if my "discovery" held true for larger birds,
too.
I do hope to continue this research—as soon as time
allows—with Marsh's Pharaoh Coturnix Quail, because
these birds are about the most prolific larger fowl that
I've come across. Quail eggs hatch within 16 days, and the
chicks actually begin laying eggs themselves by five or six
weeks after hatching. Obviously, these qualities would help
the experiments proceed quickly.
In the meantime, however, I'm glad to pass this little bit
of information along to anyone who has a few chickens,
geese, etc. and who would be interested in seeing if
sorghum seed will increase the percentage of female chicks
produced by these more practical barnyard fowls.
I can assure you that I've found nothing in sorghum that
was not definitely beneficial to the health of any
birds fed on this seed.
And, in exchange for this little tip, I'd appreciate it if
any of you poultry-raising MOTHER readers who try this
experiment with your own birds would drop me a line ...
just to let me know what results (if any) you might have.
Just address any such information to Dr. N.W. Walker, P.O.
Box 13206, Phoenix, Arizona 85002.
EDITOR'S NOTE: MOTHER would like to thank the
Poultry Press, Box 947, York,
Pennsylvania 17405,
for
bringing Dr. Walker's experiments to her
attention.
