Artificial Insemination tips and tricks needed

[chickenmomma16]

It’s come to this. I have a 7 year old cock I recently re-acquired and he’s not fertilizing the eggs. He’s always had poor fertility when I had him as a cockerel. I REALLY need to produce chicks with this cock. I’ve trimmed and plucked vent on both him and the 8 hens he is with. I’ve tried penning him up and allowing more pasture time. He’s a fairly large cock but I I’ve kept trying and I thought I was finally able to get semen. It’s white but not like all the videos I’ve watch on YouTube. It looks more like a urate vs semen. I have hatched chicks from him before as a cockerel so I know he isn’t sterile. He is a weird breeder and usually stops trying to mate prematurely or falls forward on his face. I’d of course want to let them do it naturally but he’s had 3 months with his hens and I’ve set well over a hundred eggs of his and NONE have develop. I’m at a loss. I’m getting desperate. I can’t replace him as his line isn‘t around anymore. He’s a Blue Wheaten Ameraucana. He is over Blue Wheaten Ameraucana pullets and 1yr old hens.
Any tips on being more successful at AI? I’ve also penned him up so he’s not trying to mate and wasting semen. Still just getting the more urate looking stuff vs semen. Or even tips on increasing his chances of making contact with the ladies?

 

[AmeraucanaHank]

I can’t replace him as his line isn‘t around anymore. He’s a Blue Wheaten Ameraucana.

Are this the same thing? https://www.reinhardtminiranch.com/product-page/blue-black-splash-wheaten-ameraucana

 

[EmmaRainboe]

Are this the same thing? https://www.reinhardtminiranch.com/product-page/blue-black-splash-wheaten-ameraucana

They’re the same breed and variety, but not from the same line.

 

[EmmaRainboe]

@MysteryChicken I know you were having trouble getting the liquid stuff too, did you ever figure it out?

 

[MysteryChicken]

@MysteryChicken I know you were having trouble getting the liquid stuff too, did you ever figure it out?

I was getting clear sperm, no seminal fluid included with it.

I did get the good white semen from my best breeder Silkie Scaredy when I went to test him out.

Scaredy's Grandson gets over stimulated, & ends up giving urates, & poop mixed with his semen.

 

[MysteryChicken]

His fertility rate could be dropping now since your rooster is an elderly age of 7yrs. Their lifespan is around 8-10yrs.

 

[chickenmomma16]

Are this the same thing? https://www.reinhardtminiranch.com/product-page/blue-black-splash-wheaten-ameraucana

Same breed and color variety but different lines.

 

[chickenmomma16]

I was getting clear sperm, no seminal fluid included with it.

I did get the good white semen from my best breeder Silkie Scaredy when I went to test him out.

Scaredy's Grandson gets over stimulated, & ends up giving urates, & poop mixed with his semen.

I did start by getting clear possibly semen for my first week of trying then I started getting the urate looking white stuff. Ive set every egg from that pen and no eggs have developed. I don’t get poop though, just white stuff, it’s not a consistent white. It’s clear, and some white that looks like oil and water trying to mix, sorry I don’t know how to describe it. It’s not very much though. He is such a good cock, really calm and laid back. the first few times I tried to collect from hm he turned around and looked at me like I’ve lost my marbles He’s cool about it now. Maybe I’m not getting it in the hens right if in fact I’m getting semen and not urate?


And that’s part of my desperation, his age. I know he could die any day. He’s really healthy now, maybe a bit chunky but we are slowly working on that. He was getting lots of snacks at my friends house.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I did start by getting clear possibly semen for my first week of trying then I started getting the urate looking white stuff. Ive set every egg from that pen and no eggs have developed. I don’t get poop though, just white stuff, it’s not a consistent white. It’s clear, and some white that looks like oil and water trying to mix, sorry I don’t know how to describe it. It’s not very much though. He is such a good cock, really calm and laid back. the first few times I tried to collect from hm he turned around and looked at me like I’ve lost my marbles He’s cool about it now. Maybe I’m not getting it in the hens right if in fact I’m getting semen and not urate?


And that’s part of my desperation, his age. I know he could die any day. He’s really healthy now, maybe a bit chunky but we are slowly working on that. He was getting lots of snacks at my friends house.

Sounds like Sperm, & urate mixture possibly from your description.

How exactly are you inseminating the hens? I take a cupcake Pipette, get the sperm, open the lips of the vent abit, & drip it into them.


Also how old are your hens? Recently retired one of my 6-7 year old hens from breeding due to her fertility rate dropping.

 

[MeanCheek]

And that’s part of my desperation, his age. I know he could die any day. He’s really healthy now, maybe a bit chunky but we are slowly working on that. He was getting lots of snacks at my friends house.

Not at all helpful, but I read about a Dominique cock who was still fertile past ten years old and in to his early teens. He lived to be eighteen.