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Cochin Hen Laid Me A Fertile Egg!

post #1 of 8
5/14/12 at 2:32pm
Thread Starter 
Help! Today I bought a trio of white Cochins (two hens and a roo) but only kept one hen for myself (I gave the other hen and the roo to a good friend). I brought my hen home and she went straight to the nesting box and laid an egg, which I'm assuming is fertile since she's been mating with the rooster.

So.....here's what I need to know:

1) Is this the only egg that will be fertile since she has now been separated from the roo?

2) Since the order owner always put her eggs on an incubator, will she even sit on this egg?

3) Shoud I be expecting more fertile eggs, and if so, approx. How many before she starts laying unfertilized ones?

Thanks in advance for your knowledge!
Queengoddess
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post #2 of 8
5/14/12 at 3:52pm

If she continues laying her eggs will retain high fertility up to 2 weeks, moderate fertility up to 3 weeks, and possible fertility up to a month.  More likely she will stop laying for a period of time.  Chickens hate change and the stress of a new environment may cause her to take a break from egg laying.  Cochins are excellent at brooding, but since she has been relocated it is unlikely that she will go broody until she adjusts to her new home.  welcome-byc.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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post #3 of 8
5/14/12 at 4:01pm
Thread Starter 
WoW!

But you think there won't be anymore since the new environment?
Queengoddess
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post #4 of 8
5/14/12 at 4:15pm

Depends upon the personality of the individual bird.  The egg that she laid was already in the 'production line'.  One or more mayalso be in process.  If she is a mellow sort of hen she may continue laying, but most react to environmental change by taking a break from egg laying.

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 #5 of 8
5/14/12 at 4:19pm
Thread Starter 
Production line, eh? LOL

Well, she seems to have made herself right at home, although I have noticed her pecking at some of my other birds who are all much younger.

It will be interesting to see what happens.
Queengoddess
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post #6 of 8
5/15/12 at 1:45pm
Thread Starter 
Myrtle (the Cochin) laid another egg today. She doesn't appear to be very stressed by the change of environment. Two days, two eggs, likely fertile. I can't wait to see how many more, if any, there will be and if she'll hatch them.
Queengoddess
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post #7 of 8
5/15/12 at 6:07pm
Thread Starter 
More probs with the egg-laying Cochin. now she refuses to allow the others up into the henhouse. When they tried tonight, she pecked and pitched a fit, which upset them because they were ready to roost for the night. I finally had to take her out and put her in a dog kennel so the others could get in the henhouse.

Is this kind of aggressive behavior due to her having two fertile eggs in one of the nesting boxes, or is she just not integrating well with my flock?
Queengoddess
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post #8 of 8
5/15/12 at 6:13pm

sounds like she is just asserting her dominence in the pecking order. a bit too aggressively maybe, but that is my opinion. a rooster would most likely stop most of this behavior. she may even try to mount the other hens. 

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BackYard Chickens › BYC Forum › Raising BackYard Chickens › Incubating & Hatching Eggs › Cochin Hen Laid Me A Fertile Egg!