Rooster, new to this!

[Ceakmama]

My flock is only 2 months old, so I'm still new to chickens. My mind is boggling with all the info I'm learning. I had no idea there was so much to learn about chickens! I feel really stupid for even saying this, but I didn't realize rooster and hens actually had "sex". I don't know what I thought exactly, maybe that just having a rooster around made eggs fertile. I feel so dumb haha. Anyway, this leads me to my question. If I don't want more chicks, do I need to separate my rooster? I know I have at least 1 cockerel in my flock, so I'm just thinking ahead. If he mates with one of the pullets, can I still eat those eggs? How does it work exactly? I just want eggs to eat at this point.

 

[DobieLover]

My flock is only 2 months old, so I'm still new to chickens. My mind is boggling with all the info I'm learning. I had no idea there was so much to learn about chickens! I feel really stupid for even saying this, but I didn't realize rooster and hens actually had "sex". I don't know what I thought exactly, maybe that just having a rooster around made eggs fertile. I feel so dumb haha. Anyway, this leads me to my question. If I don't want more chicks, do I need to separate my rooster? I know I have at least 1 cockerel in my flock, so I'm just thinking ahead. If he mates with one of the pullets, can I still eat those eggs? How does it work exactly? I just want eggs to eat at this point.

I have been eating nothing but fertilized eggs for over three years.
Having all the eggs fertilized does not mean you will have chicks. The eggs have to be incubated before a chick will develop.
So, no, your cockerel can stay with the girls all the time unless you end up with behavioral or over mating issues.

 

[3KillerBs]

Fertilized eggs don't develop into chicks unless the eggs are incubated, either by a broody hen or in an incubator.

You'll never know the difference eating fertilized eggs vs. non-fertilized eggs.

 

[Sally PB]

@Ceakmama, nobody was born knowing this stuff. We all had to learn. So ask any questions you want!

 

[HennyPenny44]

My flock is only 2 months old, so I'm still new to chickens. My mind is boggling with all the info I'm learning. I had no idea there was so much to learn about chickens! I feel really stupid for even saying this, but I didn't realize rooster and hens actually had "sex". I don't know what I thought exactly, maybe that just having a rooster around made eggs fertile. I feel so dumb haha. Anyway, this leads me to my question. If I don't want more chicks, do I need to separate my rooster? I know I have at least 1 cockerel in my flock, so I'm just thinking ahead. If he mates with one of the pullets, can I still eat those eggs? How does it work exactly? I just want eggs to eat at this point.

I’ve had chickens for 2 years and I used to think roosters had male parts but I didn’t know where they hid them. I was shocked to discover they have a cloaca too...and that they mate! I thought a rooster would just look at the hen and voila, babies appeared...or something like that. For those of us who never grew up with chickens, such as myself, we just never had to entertain these thoughts. I’m still learning things every day and enjoying the process.

 

[Ceakmama]

Phew! Thank you for answering! I'm loving this new experience of having chickens!