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Roosters' Fertility

post #1 of 12
4/21/12 at 11:04pm
Thread Starter 

If a rooster has apparently gone sterile, will he come back when summer comes?

 

I've tried to set at least 30 eggs, and they all look sunny and bright inside when I candle them a week or ten days later.  He is with five hens.  Unfortunately, he is a spectacularly nice little rooster, and I would really like to get some chicks out of him.

 

Any thoughts on this?  Can I give him some special kind of feed that will help him or is he gone for good?

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post #2 of 12
4/21/12 at 11:54pm

I am trying to figure out the same thing with my rooster, I will tag along on this thread and see what the experts say hu.gif
 

2 workin folks, 2 amazing daughters, 2 cats, 1 dog, 2 Nigerian Dwarf Goats,19 chickens!  Lovin every minute of it!   "Life isn't about how to survive the storm but how to dance in the rain."
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2 workin folks, 2 amazing daughters, 2 cats, 1 dog, 2 Nigerian Dwarf Goats,19 chickens!  Lovin every minute of it!   "Life isn't about how to survive the storm but how to dance in the rain."
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post #3 of 12
4/22/12 at 5:54am

Fertility can diminish during the winter, but should have returned 'to par' with the increased daylength.  Check and see if his vent is occluded by fecal debris or excessive feathering.  If any 'physical blockage' is noted, clean him up and pluck the feathers surrounding his vent.  Some birds just go sterile.  I had a friend with an intensely inbred WC black Polish flock - almost all of his roosters were sterile by 3 or 4 years old.

Friends are the family you make for yourself.
There are no coincidences- only providences.
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Friends are the family you make for yourself.
There are no coincidences- only providences.
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post #4 of 12
4/22/12 at 12:25pm
Thread Starter 

Thanks.  I will go right out right now and try it.  I hope I can fix our problem. 

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post #5 of 12
4/22/12 at 12:32pm

I just took a look at the rooster in your avatar.  Is he the rooster in question?  If so, I might even recommend trimming the excessive feathering on his feet.  I do know that this helps increase the breeding success of heavily feather footed pigeons.

Friends are the family you make for yourself.
There are no coincidences- only providences.
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Friends are the family you make for yourself.
There are no coincidences- only providences.
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post #6 of 12
4/22/12 at 12:44pm
Thread Starter 

He had quite long feathers (though no plugs).  They were soft and very thick.  I wonder if he just couldn't get around them.  I trimmed them heavily so that he has a fairly good opening in that area.  I didn't cut them so that he had any bare spots when he closed his feathers, but I did trim them and pulled out about ten or so.

 

I hope this will make a difference.

 

Thank you so much for giving me this information.

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post #7 of 12
4/22/12 at 1:33pm

Check your hens.  If they have excessive feathering, PLUCK the feathers around their vents.  I say pluck so that he does not encounter irritating stubble while attempting to 'make contact'.  hide.gif

 

I need a blushing smiley.

Friends are the family you make for yourself.
There are no coincidences- only providences.
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Friends are the family you make for yourself.
There are no coincidences- only providences.
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post #8 of 12
4/22/12 at 3:00pm
Thread Starter 

I never thought of trimming his foot feathers.  Actually, the bird in the picture is his father.  He is far more feathered than his father.  If I don't have fertile eggs by the next weekend, I will trim his feet too.

 

He hasn't shown any interest in the hens when I come out, so I think he might be discouraged.  It seems I remember his father did the same thing, and it seems I trimmed him too now that I remember.

 

I have some serious memory issues since two of my family members died.   So I had forgotten I had to trim his dad too.  I bet this works!

 

Thanks again.

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post #9 of 12
4/22/12 at 3:08pm
Thread Starter 

"irritating stubble"  hmmmm, I wonder if this works for people too.  hugs.gif

 

Juuuuusssst kidding.

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post #10 of 12
4/22/12 at 3:28pm

Now you need the blushing smiley.  lau.gif

Friends are the family you make for yourself.
There are no coincidences- only providences.
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Friends are the family you make for yourself.
There are no coincidences- only providences.
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