- Jul 21, 2013
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I have eleven pullets/hens and one rooster. One of the Cochins kept going broody, so I decided to let her have ten eggs to sit on. I picked Maran eggs, so, if the eggs are fertile, the chicks would have a Maran mom and a Production Red (or Rhode Island Red) rooster dad.
My questions mostly concern the rooster. If there's one rooster and eleven females, what is the likelihood all the eggs the Cochin is sitting on are fertile? I know you can candle them at 10 days, but she raises SUCH a fuss when I mess with her nest that it brings the rooster in to attack me and I spend all my time rooster sparring and not candling.
One egg she'd been sitting on for a few days was cracked, so I took into the house and broke it the rest of the way. It was as if the yolk and white were combining and there was a couple red lines (veins, maybe?) in there. I know I'll need to watch for rotten eggs exploding if I'm not able to candle.
I did have plans to move the Cochin and her eggs, but I'm feeling like it might be too late for that now. I'm worried that if I move her, she might stop being broody. Maybe I'll wait until the eggs hatch, if they hatch, and then move the Cochin and her babies to a separate area.
I know hens will sometimes kill chicks, but what about the rooster? Is he likely to kill them?
Also, I have a chicken fence up around the yard. If I don't move the Cochin and her babies when/if they hatch, I suppose I'll have chicks running through the fence all willy nilly (and will become barn cat treats). Right? Or do they stick close their mom?
Thoughts? Advice? I looked through the broody hen/hatching threads, but couldn't locate the answers to these questions.
Thanks!
My questions mostly concern the rooster. If there's one rooster and eleven females, what is the likelihood all the eggs the Cochin is sitting on are fertile? I know you can candle them at 10 days, but she raises SUCH a fuss when I mess with her nest that it brings the rooster in to attack me and I spend all my time rooster sparring and not candling.
One egg she'd been sitting on for a few days was cracked, so I took into the house and broke it the rest of the way. It was as if the yolk and white were combining and there was a couple red lines (veins, maybe?) in there. I know I'll need to watch for rotten eggs exploding if I'm not able to candle.
I did have plans to move the Cochin and her eggs, but I'm feeling like it might be too late for that now. I'm worried that if I move her, she might stop being broody. Maybe I'll wait until the eggs hatch, if they hatch, and then move the Cochin and her babies to a separate area.
I know hens will sometimes kill chicks, but what about the rooster? Is he likely to kill them?
Also, I have a chicken fence up around the yard. If I don't move the Cochin and her babies when/if they hatch, I suppose I'll have chicks running through the fence all willy nilly (and will become barn cat treats). Right? Or do they stick close their mom?
Thoughts? Advice? I looked through the broody hen/hatching threads, but couldn't locate the answers to these questions.
Thanks!
