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Breeding questions

Discussion in 'Raising Baby Chicks' started by horsechick, Nov 17, 2007.

Most Liked Posts
  1. Nov 17, 2007 #1
    horsechick

    horsechick Songster

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    Eaton, Ohio
    Hi, me again....[​IMG]

    Does anyone have a good site on the reproduction of a chicken,
    Can you run them together and wait for them to come into "season" to seperate?
    How does that work?
    Hopefully this info will help me figure out how I need to seperate or not all the different breeds we have on our list.
    It sure would help if there weren't so many gorgeous ones!!!
    Thanks in advance!!!
    Take care all,
    Angela
     
  2. Nov 17, 2007 #2
    arlee453

    arlee453 Songster

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    The rooster 'services' the hen. She stores up the semen for up to 3 weeks or so and produces fertile eggs.

    Hens are constantly fertile - they don't have a 'heat' cycle per-se like a mammal, although they do slack off egg production in the winter when there is less daylight, or in periods of stress like moult or relocation.

    If you want pure bred chickens, pen up your roo and hen(s) together and eat the eggs for the first 3 weeks. By the 4th week her eggs will be fertile from the roo she is with and not some other roo.

    Is that what you were asking??

    Other little known fact...unlike in mammals (like humans) it's not the rooster that determines the gender of the chick, but the hen.
     
  3. Nov 18, 2007 #3
    tazcat70

    tazcat70 I must be crazy!

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    My Coop
    Quote:I did not know that....

    Tonya
     
  4. Nov 18, 2007 #4
    silkiechicken

    silkiechicken Staff PhD Premium Member

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    Everett WA/Corvallis OR
    Darn birds and their W's and Y's!! My darn silkie girl throws all boys!!!!

    Arlee's right bout how to get specific breeds. I have a separate coop where I can lock up the lucky guy with his girls when I want fertile eggs that are of a specific mix.
     
  5. Nov 18, 2007 #5
    horsechick

    horsechick Songster

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    Eaton, Ohio
    Thats great information, thanks very much!

    I wonder how they determine the sex, would different feeds do something or just the way they are genetically?
    Interesting.

    Thanks to you all I've learned my one something new today, well, maybe more like 10+ things, anyway.... [​IMG]
     
  6. Nov 18, 2007 #6
    allen wranch

    allen wranch Crowing Premium Member

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    Feed and genetics have nothing to do with the sex of the chicks. It is a 50/50 chance but not always a 50/50 result.

    A couple of years ago I hatched 32 chicks and 22 were roosters....
     
  7. Nov 18, 2007 #7
    Tuffoldhen

    Tuffoldhen Flock Mistress

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    Gee whiz Carla...your luck is as good as mine... [​IMG]
     

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