Are Pullets capable of bearing offspring?

[Caliphe]

Sort of on-topic, but I've heard that hatchery bred White Leghorns (pullets or mature) do not often go broody. Maybe that is what your grandfather could have meant when he saw your leghorns and told you they are poor reproducers?

 

[PepsNick]

Quote:
I think fertility is fine, but I haven't heard of the hens going broody. Humans have bred them for strictly production. Incubators are needed with the White Leghorn hatchery stock.

 

[TaylorHobbyFarms]

I just wanted to weigh in on White Leghorns since I have raised them for awhile. Yes, I have never had one go broody and yes, the fertility is good. Out of the last 24 eggs I incubated, all were fertile, though not all hatched. I am not perfect on my hatching, but I do candle them 10 days in to check the fertility.

 

[High Roost Ranch]

Quote:
I see people say this a lot. I believe that this is not the case. Until a female chicken is one year old, they are a pullet.

I agree with you on this PepsNick. Under a year, pullet & cockerel. Over a year, hen & cock.

A pullet egg is the first 1-5 or so eggs that a female produces when she enters into maturity. They are tiny eggs that range about 1/3 to 1/2 the size of their normal egg size that they will lay eventually. Some never lay these tiny starter eggs, others, well sadly, that's all they ever produce and aren't viable layers.

Leghorns are not known for broodiness, they were bred for high egg production. The broodiness has been bred out of them. Once in a while you'll get one that wants to brood eggs, but it's rare. I always said they'd never go broody until one of mine proved me wrong and has since hatched out several clutches and mothered them just as well as any other broody "breed" does.

 

[rarely bored]

Jumping in the fray to say... I do have an older book which says pullet eggs do not produce chicks as good as more mature hen eggs. Not sure if it is "5 acres and Independance" or an older Feeds and Feeding book, or ?? Currently I'm at my in-laws, but if anyone expresses interest, will look it up and come back with exact phrasing.

 

[akcountrygrrl]

Quote:
In this other post, you said you read it in "Storey's guide to raising chickens" not "My grandpa told me pullets don't reproduce well"...

Boy now I am afraid to post too many times!!! Didn't know someone was out there monitoring who writes what and where!!! Look out!! It's the Posting Police!!!

No, I'm not the "Posting Police". I just thought it odd that the OP would put a statement in another message string stating that pullets are not really good for laying and then turn around and ask about it in another post less than 24 hours later. And, as someone else said, we have had people try to mislead folks on here. One recent example was taking a picture off a website and photo shopping it and then asking what kind of chicken it was.

 

[ginbart]

Quote:
Boy now I am afraid to post too many times!!! Didn't know someone was out there monitoring who writes what and where!!! Look out!! It's the Posting Police!!!

No, I'm not the "Posting Police". I just thought it odd that the OP would put a statement in another message string stating that pullets are not really good for laying and then turn around and ask about it in another post less than 24 hours later. And, as someone else said, we have had people try to mislead folks on here. One recent example was taking a picture off a website and photo shopping it and then asking what kind of chicken it was.

akcountrygrrl, if you look at captainmons quote at the end I think she was joking. We do that on here and if I see a picture of a chicken no matter where I see it and I want to know what it is I will copy and ask on here. I don't know the whole story about that one I'm just saying I would do that. I could be completly wrong on what you are taking about because I didn't see that thread but,...........

Lets get back on the topic of the OP

 

[akcountrygrrl]

Quote:
No, I'm not the "Posting Police". I just thought it odd that the OP would put a statement in another message string stating that pullets are not really good for laying and then turn around and ask about it in another post less than 24 hours later. And, as someone else said, we have had people try to mislead folks on here. One recent example was taking a picture off a website and photo shopping it and then asking what kind of chicken it was.

akcountrygrrl, if you look at captainmons quote at the end I think she was joking. We do that on here and if I see a picture of a chicken no matter where I see it and I want to know what it is I will copy and ask on here. I don't know the whole story about that one I'm just saying I would do that. I could be completly wrong on what you are taking about because I didn't see that thread but,...........

Lets get back on the topic of the OP

Asking about a picture of a chicken is one thing but taking that picture, photoshopping it to add feathers to the legs, and then saying it was your bird is a completely different situation.

 

[mama24]

The question WAS worded extremely oddly, though, imo. Chickens don't bear young at all, they lay eggs. Whether or not those eggs are viable is another question, but they definitely don't bear young. lol. Only animals that give birth to live young do that, like people.

I almost pointed that out in my first reply, but decided to be nice, since I assume the poster is very young.

 

[ginbart]

Quote:
akcountrygrrl, if you look at captainmons quote at the end I think she was joking. We do that on here and if I see a picture of a chicken no matter where I see it and I want to know what it is I will copy and ask on here. I don't know the whole story about that one I'm just saying I would do that. I could be completly wrong on what you are taking about because I didn't see that thread but,...........

Lets get back on the topic of the OP

Asking about a picture of a chicken is one thing but taking that picture, photoshopping it to add feathers to the legs, and then saying it was your bird is a completely different situation.

I see what you are saying. Now that made me laugh. I don't know how to photeshop or even what it is.