Can you be your own rooster?

[Eggscaping]

Hi there! Tonight the question came up, idly, as we sat watching TV and perusing BYC...

What about artificial insemination? Like...if you would like your own chicks, but aren't where you can have a crowing rooster? We remember an episode of "Dirty Jobs" wherein Mike was helping someone inseminate their turkeys...so, can you do that with hens? I Googled the subject briefly and was rewarded with the knowledge that there ARE YouTube videos that show you how to do just that...so I wondered...how common is this? Where do you get your...er...rooster semen? Have any of you actually done this, and if so - how effective was it?

...and did your chickens look at you funny afterward? Demand a drink first? Want flowers the next day?

 

[R2elk]

Hi there! Tonight the question came up, idly, as we sat watching TV and perusing BYC...

What about artificial insemination? Like...if you would like your own chicks, but aren't where you can have a crowing rooster? We remember an episode of "Dirty Jobs" wherein Mike was helping someone inseminate their turkeys...so, can you do that with hens? I Googled the subject briefly and was rewarded with the knowledge that there ARE YouTube videos that show you how to do just that...so I wondered...how common is this? Where do you get your...er...rooster semen? Have any of you actually done this, and if so - how effective was it?

...and did your chickens look at you funny afterward? Demand a drink first? Want flowers the next day?

Artificial Insemination is fairly common among people that raise fluffy breeds and show their chickens. They typically get their semen from roosters that they keep caged separate from their hens.

If you want to do AI, you will need access to a rooster.

 

[Compost King]

I found this video recently that shows how to do Artificial Insemination and its much easier than I thought. Now I wonder if the Chicken Semen will stay alive long enough to mail it.

 

[Eggscaping]

Artificial Insemination is fairly common among people that raise fluffy breeds and show their chickens. They typically get their semen from roosters that they keep caged separate from their hens.

If you want to do AI, you will need access to a rooster.

So...that would mean you would have to...er...stimulate ...no. Too many inappropriate comments come to mind. I will not go there. <snerk> I thought maybe you could send it through the mail. I know they do that with bull semen.

 

[Cyprus]

So...that would mean you would have to...er...stimulate ...no. Too many inappropriate comments come to mind. I will not go there. <snerk> I thought maybe you could send it through the mail. I know they do that with bull semen.

Um, not quite.
Cattle semen, equine semen and swine semen are frozen in liquid nitrogen first then shipped in specialized freeze tanks. The semen is stored in "straws" to be used to inseminate the female.

 

[Cyprus]

In Avians, I have heard by ear that the semen does not last long enough out of body to be frozen or that the sperm is damaged by freezing.

 

[Compost King]

in the video she only strokes the tail feathers and not the naughty parts. I was grossed out at the thought until I watched the video and I believe I can do it. She even has a link to buy the Pipettes you use to collect it with. She also in the comment section when she isn't battling trolls (you can imagine how bad they are) says this can be done with any bird. Now I am going to research how they send Bull Semen in the mail, because I imagine the semen does not stay alive very long. (and looks like I have the answer to my question already^^^^^)