breeding question..

[Rennie]

Im fairly new to keeping chickens and have never even thought about breeding them untill today when I got "Magnum" my new silver laced wyandotte. Not through choice but i wasnt saying no to him (hes great)..

From asking on here and just pure guessing .. I think he is about 5 months old ..
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=3109093#p3109093

When he does actually decide he wants babies lol .. How will i know ??

How do i know if the eggs are fertile and will it matter if i only select a few eggs to hatch and eat the rest? Im not sure if this is a daft simple question or not its just something i need to know

Do they only produce the fertile eggs and no more or is it just like normal ..eggs everyday ?
(obviously im talking about my hens eggs ...not his ...i know a little bit

)

I know it might be a while yet before he gets his wicked way .. I just want to be ready just in case it comes sooner

 

[Julie_A]

When he does actually decide he wants babies lol .. How will i know ?? He'll start mounting your females.

How do i know if the eggs are fertile and will it matter if i only select a few eggs to hatch and eat the rest? You can crack eggs and look for the speck. Speckled Egg has a good post on how to tell. You can eat them, too.

Do they only produce the fertile eggs and no more or is it just like normal ..eggs everyday ? Depends on the breed, they may lay several eggs a week. They usually produce fertile eggs if they have adequate exposure to roosters.

I'm not expert, just my opinions.

 

[canada-goose]

Quote:
He'll start grabbing the hens and jumping on their backs. Trust me, you'll know.

How do i know if the eggs are fertile and will it matter if i only select a few eggs to hatch and eat the rest? Im not sure if this is a daft simple question or not its just something i need to know

Choose the most perfect eggs to hatch and eat the others. It is impossible to tell if the eggs are fertile until they have incubated for a few days (or you can open them).

Do they only produce the fertile eggs and no more or is it just like normal ..eggs everyday ?
(obviously im talking about my hens eggs ...not his ...i know a little bit

)

They'll produce just as many eggs as usual.​

 

[Rennie]

Thanks .. kind of obvious realy then .. Ill just sit back and watch them ...


Is there a "ready age" for breeding the cock or will it just happen when he feels like it ?

 

[canada-goose]

He'll start doing it whenever he wants!

 

[Kittymomma]

If he's 5 months old it won't be long, most of mine were "doing their thing" as my 9-year old calls it by then. Do check out Speckledhen's post on fertile eggs. Once your roo seems to have gotten his job down you can crack a few eggs and look for the bulls eye so you can get an idea of fertility. Once you know your boy is fertilizing the eggs pick out the best ones and let the incubating begin.

ETA:

 

[Rennie]

Quote:
Thanks for that ... That makes it loads easier to understand