Breeding my hen, I need help

[Miizki]

For my 4h project I decided to start a small breeding program. However since I live in a residential area, I cannot have a rooster. My friend lives on a farm though, so I am going to take my hen over there to breed her. How long does the hen have to be with the rooster for the eggs to be fertile? And how long after she is back to my house will she still be laying fertile eggs?

 

[MiniBeesKnees]

Just some estimates but here is what I do...when I want purebred chicks.
First, isolate her from every other rooster for three weeks...skip this step if you have no roosters.
Have her visit the rooster you want as her 'husband' for a week or ten days...
Then bring her home and isolate her until she lays enough eggs for your project...

If she then went broody and sat on her clutch it would be a miracle, or a great coincidence.
So have the incubator set up and ready.

Good Luck.

 

[Miizki]

Oh ok seems easy enough. Thanks

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
How do you plan on hatching the eggs? Just because a hen is bred and laying fertilized eggs does not mean she will go broody and actually hatch them.

Can you verify 100% that each is disease free? Not a carrier? Otherwise, they could be spreading disease and every chicken in the area could become infected. Even you could be carrying disease on your shoes. How are the biosecurity concerns going to be addressed?

Mixing adult birds is very risky. A minimum 30 day quarantine is recommended, and even that is no guarantee. If your friend has a flock there is a chance they could all get sick.


There is also the concern of just tossing a hen in with a strange rooster. They may not get along at all, and if there are other hens in the pen there might be injuries.

Please rethink the plan. Maybe you could borrow/buy/rent an incubator and get some fertile eggs from the friend to hatch? With you keeping the pullets and the friend keeping the cockerals?

Then you could track the entire incubation closely and have a great project!

 

[sourland]

Also understand that if you move your hen to a new environment and then bring her back home she may stop laying for a while. I think Ranchhand has a good idea. Just get some purebred eggs from a breed that you really want and incubate them.