Rooster issues and hatching questions

[rjchicks]

I have a very large brahma rooster with 3 hens. After a while of him mating with hens there is some bare spots on the hens back and on her neck from him mating with them so much. He is actually a really nice rooster but he mates all the time. I am worrying about my hens and don't want them to get to beat up. Also so it is getting around that season I want to hatch eggs. I dont want to use an incubator though and want my hens to hatch their own chicks. I have a brahma hen a california (leghorn) white hen and a golden comet (red sex link) hen. I am wondering if I would get just a mutt chicken or I dont know if I crossed the brahma rooster with them. If you need more information just ask. Thanks

 

[cbohn80]

they would definately be mutts and would most likely have some characteristics of the different breeds. should give you good egglayers and even meat birds. if you want your ladys to keep more of their feathers simply separate the rooster and give him access to them for 1-2 hours a day when you want the eggs to be fertile. maybe use a small chicken tractor inside or along side the pen to keep the rooster near the hens without giving him the chance to mate too often

 

[centrarchid]

If you are up to the trouble. Then set it up so rooster can be introduced for a couple hours at a time every third day as they set their clutches. Should be adequate to for egg fertility and minimize feather damage to hens. I would introduce rooster about 2 hours before they go to roost. He will then have enough time to cover all at least a couple times. Then pull him out and put him back into his own pen. He will quickly learn to let you move him if he is anything like my critters.

 

[AAJ]

Separate the rooster when you do not need him. Separate the broody hens.You will get mutts, but they might be beautiful. TAKE A CHANCE.

 

[cbohn80]

oh, the brahma hens eggs would be pure brahma though so if you want purebreds just leave her eggs in the nest. brahmas are a very broody breed so theres a good chance she'll incubate for you. i personally would leave all the breeds eggs there. mutts are great birds too.

 

[donrae]

*Enabler Alert*

Get five more hens so your roo spreads the love and the girls look better.

It's basic chicken math.




Or, seperate the roo. Or, wait for him to get a little older and he'll often settle down.
Or, get more hens

 

[rjchicks]

Well I will be getting more chickens once one of my hens gets broody and starts sitting on the eggs but for now I am leaving the rooster in with the hens all the time and I just ordered 3 hensavers from hensaver.com that cover her back and above her wings I hope that this will help.

 

[sourland]

Two of your hens, the leghorn and the sex link, are not very likely to go broody. Although there are exceptions these production bred birds are less likely to go broody.