Method for producing chicken including determining the gender of chicken embryos

A method for producing poultry, in particular chicken, the method comprising;

• a) incubating a batch of eggs in an incubating device during a first incubating period of between about 7 to about 11 days, and then,
• b) maintaining an egg in a predetermined sampling position during a settling time for allowing allantoic fluid to surface,
• c) determining a location of entry for each egg based on one or more egg parameters obtained by a sensor system, the egg parameters being an egg dimension, a length along a longitudinal axis of the egg, an egg colour, an image of the egg, a heat image of the egg, a weight of the egg, a perimeter measurement of the egg, incubation time, age of parent stock, and
• d) taking an allantoic fluid sample from the egg at the determined location of entry,
• e) determining the gender of the poultry embryo in the egg based on the presence of a gender specific compound in the allantoic fluid sample,
• f) repeating steps b) to e) for each egg of the batch of eggs,
• g) based on the gender of a chicken embryo, dividing the batch of eggs into at least a male batch portion and a female batch portion, and
• h) incubating at least one of the female batch portion and male batch portion in the incubating device during a second incubating period.