The usual is 1 male to 10 females for good fertility. I have a few more with each male. I usually only have 1 male per coop and pen. I have had 2 males but it was really an accident and they didn't fight so I left them. They were RIW's.
It's a great day every day for me. First I'm glad I wake up to another new day and again when I collect the eggs. I am old (lady) too so I can appreciate your excitement.
Good luck and have fun...
I have had problems with hawks too. I covered all of my pens but I do let the birds out from different coops and pens on different days. We put a 2' piece of chicken wire around our blueberries to keep the chickens out because they scratch around and blueberries have rather shallow root systems...
When I can I get shavings from a local cabinet maker. I have been getting them for a couple of years. I use them in my coops and nest boxes. So far haven't had any problems.
I have quite a few gals that like to share a nest box even though they have several to choose from they want to be in the same nest box. These are some old pictures and these gals are no longer around but I love to take pictures so I thought I'd share them.
Just processed some RSL and RIW cockerels. Had way too many. I was thinking about processing some of the RIR cockerels but got a message that someone wants to buy them because they have been doing so well at the shows. Two Heritage RIR cockerels and a Heritage RIR pullet all got Champions at the...
That is the same with ISA Browns. Actually the parent company for the development of the ISA Brown, ISA White and other hybrids is in the Netherlands, so if a person is doing backyard breeding or any breeding program they can't call their chicks from lets say a crossing of Rhode Island Reds and...
I wonder if you could use a hot seat like ice fishermen use under the nesting material like maybe carpet remnants to keep the eggs warm? Just curious. I was curious if the heat would penetrate the remnant if that was what someone would use when a hen/pullet goes into the nest box to lay her egg...
I'm in Florida but all of my coops have wire under the roosts. The coops also have wooden floors in a part of them that I put pine shaving on. They poop the most when they're roosting. Each new coop we built we made changes. I think something like this would be great in Minnesota. I have a...
How long ago did he die? Could the eggs still be fertile. I had that happen once and I collected the eggs for a few days after mine died and still had a good hatch. He was one of my heritage RIR's and father to a champion. I wanted to hatch some of his offspring while the girls were probably...