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debhollis

debhollis

Chirping
6 Years
Jul 25, 2013
3
16
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Question: I have a new "flock" of girls/9 in all. Just discovered today that one of them is a roo.... They are almost 5 months old. I also have 4 other girls that are a year old.

So.... IF we keep the rooster, what should I expect in terms of eggs? My concern is (1) his behavior (2) how often does he "harrass" the girls in the harem (3) if we don't want baby chicks can we go ahead and eat the eggs (4) how do we tell if they are fertilized, and which sex??? Seems very complicated to me. I do not want more chicks. Period. At least for another year or two. At that time, he sure will come in handy. However, I definitely do not want any more roosters, so would have to know how to accomplish that mission.

Please help me!!!!
 
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Welcome to the site! I have read that you can eat fertilized eggs, there will be to taste difference. I don't know much about roosters, I don't want babies and my daughter has been attacked multiple times by them so we aren't dealing with it. I personally would get rid of him if you aren't planning on babies. If you do keep him then make sure to keep his nails and spur trimmed, that will help keep your hens from getting torn up.

You can use the search bar near the top of the page and find lots and lots of great info :) Good luck to you and enjoy your flock!
 
I am one of those in the pro- rooster camp; I wouldn't keep a flock without a rooster or two (unless I lived in an area where they are prohibited). Gather your eggs daily, or even every other day, and you won't ever have chicks. Eat them. There is absolutely NO difference in taste or nutrition between fertile and non- fertilized eggs. You cannot tell the sex of an egg, but you CAN tell if it is fertilized if you crack them open. There will be a white "bulls eye" on the yolk ( which is not the regular white globule blobby thing attached to the yolk). The bulls-eye looks like a small Target circle and dot, only white against the yellow or orange yolk. Otherwise, you gotta wait for them to hatch to find out the sex of a chick. And maybe not until later, when the chicks are older, if you are like me. I am a notoriously poor gender guesser. Unless YOU are going to artificially incubate eggs, you will never have chicks unless there's a broody hen in your flock. That means she wants to set, stay in the nest on the eggs, night and day for 21 days, with only one, maybe two breaks to each day to eat, drink, defecate, maybe get in a dust bath or some scratching before she hurries back to her eggs. She will puff up her feathers, growl and cluck angrily, pecking at you when/if you try to collect eggs from underneath her. Not all hens go broody. If one or more of yours do, just don't let her hatch the eggs. Take 'em and eat 'em. So don't dismay at discovering you have an accidental rooster. My accidental rooster is the dominant rooster in my flock and a wonderful gentleman with the hens.
 
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gryeyes explained it well. He may end up being a good flock protector, if it doesn't turn out that way - send him to freezer camp.
 

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