anyone doing artificial insemination with chickens?

[austinhart123]

ive never heard of that before

 

[CityChicker]

Semen can be stored many, many years (probably decades). It is sucked up into straws that are about the size of a bar straw. It has to be stored in a liquid nitrogen tank. There are several home tanks or sometimes a vet will have one that he/she lets their clients store straws in. Basically, the straws of semen are put in holders that hang down in the tank suspended above the liquid nitrogen.

To me, storing semen seems like *a lot* of work for poultry. If you are going to do AI, I would go with the immediate collection/immediate insemination route.

 

[OCchickens]

Quote:
This is what I love about this website! Sad to say, but I wouldn't have thought of taking the rooster across town & doing the collection there.

But if I took my rooster to friend's hen, or vice-versa, could you just pen them up for a few hours & count on getting the job done, or is it more complicated than that? (Not experienced with roosters, obviously).

 

[barnwife]

I have tried this...it takes a few days for whomever was moved to get comfortable enough to "do the deed"

And the hens stop laying altogether if you move them...for about a week, sometimes two if theyre really upset.

Some hens are difficult to upset and don't act as if anything changed at all. lol.

 

[scbatz33]

Quote:
Do tell!

you put the chicken on the ground and hold it still, then you take a pencil/pen or something like that, get the bird to focus on it and then drag it on the ground very quickly away from the chicken (like striking a match) The bird will loose sight of the pencil do to the quick movement so it will "freeze" in place.

It's hilarious!!