➡I accidentally bought Balut eggs: 2 live ducks! Now a Chat Thread!

[Kiki]

Free ranging also helps the hens avoid the over sexed rapists.

And unless you plan on always hatching a rooster really isn't needed. I don't think it's a good idea to keep a rooster penned up all the time.
I see trouble happening.

 

[R2elk]

And unless you plan on always hatching a rooster really isn't needed. I don't think it's a good idea to keep a rooster penned up all the time.
I see trouble happening.

Those of us who are hatching addicts must have roosters. We can't all go steal horse eggs.

 

[sdm111]

I've always had pairs and trios in dome pens and rarely had any issues with overbreeding or anything. They've always been like old married couples. When breeding birds that are not together I put the cock in with the hen let him top her a couple times then take him out then start saving the hens eggs 3 days later then put him with her about 7 or 8 days after initial breeding let him top a couple times then she's fertile for the rest of the clutch. If I am pairing up older birds I try to always put the cock in the hens pen. If I do have problems and I can assure you I do then it's usually with stags under 1.5yrs old. Then some it just ain't happening lol. I'm talking American games not old English.

 

[ShrekDawg]

You don't free range your birds right?
Most protecting done by roosters happens when you free range.

I do sometimes. More so in the spring and summer but I want to start doing it regularly again.

And yeah I know that. Of course they wouldn’t need protecting in a pen, but I do free range mine sometimes and am going to start doing it regularly, like daily.

I used to do it more often but stopped because of a few predator scares but they’re much happier when they get out and the eggs are much better quality so I’m going to start again.

Free ranging also helps the hens avoid the over sexed rapists.

true!

And unless you plan on always hatching a rooster really isn't needed. I don't think it's a good idea to keep a rooster penned up all the time.
I see trouble happening.

It wouldn’t be penned up all the time.

I would free range them if I had one.

I actually already do sometimes and used to a lot more but haven’t in a while for various reasons. But I’m going to start again. We have plenty of land and they love it. Plus I want them to stir up my compost pile and garden.

So if I kept a rooster, it would be free ranged regularly along with the hens. Not penned.

But protection isn’t the only reason I want a rooster. I would potentially like to hatch some of my own eggs and I’ve also read they can help keep the peace among the flock. Plus I just think they are gorgeous.

Those of us who are hatching addicts must have roosters. We can't all go steal horse eggs.

 

[sdm111]

I think there's better options out there for "protection" than a rooster.

 

[FortCluck]

Those of us who are hatching addicts must have roosters. We can't all go steal horse eggs.

What are horse eggs?

 

[ShrekDawg]

What are horse eggs?

There are some feral chickens at the barn Kiki keeps her horses at and she has stolen eggs and hatched them a couple times before so she jokingly calls them horse eggs.

 

[FortCluck]

I do sometimes. More so in the spring and summer but I want to start doing it regularly again.

And yeah I know that. Of course they wouldn’t need protecting in a pen, but I do free range mine sometimes and am going to start doing it regularly, like daily.

I used to do it more often but stopped because of a few predator scares but they’re much happier when they get out and the eggs are much better quality so I’m going to start again.



true!



It wouldn’t be penned up all the time.

I would free range them if I had one.

I actually already do sometimes and used to a lot more but haven’t in a while for various reasons. But I’m going to start again. We have plenty of land and they love it. Plus I want them to stir up my compost pile and garden.

So if I kept a rooster, it would be free ranged regularly along with the hens. Not penned.

But protection isn’t the only reason I want a rooster. I would potentially like to hatch some of my own eggs and I’ve also read they can help keep the peace among the flock. Plus I just think they are gorgeous.

Squatch fought a hawk to save my girls

 

[ShrekDawg]

I think there's better options out there for "protection" than a rooster.

Probably true but protection isn’t the only reason I want one. I think they are gorgeous and I would also like to keep one of the boys I hatched.

But a good dog and good fences probably do a much better job than a rooster. Gator kept everything away. But a rooster could at least sound the alarm and give them a chance to get away. Although my Easter Egger hens are pretty good at that.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Squatch fought a hawk to save my girls

Oh wow what a brave boy!!

He’s also huge though so any hawk would be stupid to try to mess with him.