Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[Fred's Hens]

Actually, pair mating and tracking that pair mating is important. That's very much where you want to get in your program. It's just that I'm not there yet with our Reds. Hope that helps.

 

[delisha]

Quote: Your right Al..These do not stretch that much. I am sure other mesh bag manufacturers have the stretchy kind.

 

[al6517]

Quote:

It can be used when one doesn't have a full compliment of good stock and therefore needs to keep the good ones from a randy ole flock rooster. I have done it on occasion but for different reasons. If your roosters sample is of good color and consistancy and your sure the kiss is being applied good without feather intervention. The hen should and will stay fertile for 2 weeks or better. The longer the rooster is doing his business the longer the fertility effect will be.

That's why it's important to do a sample test on your roosters if your that serious about making sure your hens fertile.

 

[Fred's Hens]

When you mate a rooster to a hen, she will lay fertile eggs off a mating or two for up to three weeks. Plenty of time to gather a good number of eggs from that pair mating. Depends on your rooster, but our Red likes to jump the ladies every other day, give or take.

However, this is a two edged sword. You cannot bring in another rooster to pair mate her for three weeks. You wouldn't know, for certain, who the father is of the eggs she's laying. Does that help?

 

[al6517]

Quote: Your right Al..These do not stretch that much. I am sure other mesh bag manufacturers have the stretchy kind.


I haven't really tried to search for them since I have all I need, but I was thinking a person could search for good alternatives. Try those gamebird guy's, they will point you in the right direction.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Al, by sample, do you mean crack an egg and look for the evidence? Or, candle at day 10 and check, or both?

 

[al6517]

When you mate a rooster to a hen, she will lay fertile eggs off a mating or two for up to three weeks. Plenty of time to gather a good number of eggs from that pair mating. Depends on your rooster, but our Red likes to jump the ladies every other day, give or take.

However, this is a two edged sword. You cannot bring in another rooster to pair mate her for three weeks. You wouldn't know, for certain, who the father is of the eggs she's laying. Does that help?

That's it right there Fred.................. changing roosters will take 3 weeks minimum per hen.

 

[al6517]

Sometimes if needed I will use this to keep roosters and hens seperated for breeding one rooster to many different hens at the same time and then vise versa. it's easy to keep track of the birds and changing is simple as well. Of course I Ai when I do this mainly for simplcity and quickness for which I can do it. I can get all the birds mated using any number of combinations with 100% possitive results in 30 or less. and for those of you who have asked this will solve your which hen is laying questions. These are my breeder and conditioning pens, and sick bay's if need be.

 

[al6517]

Al, by sample, do you mean crack an egg and look for the evidence? Or, candle at day 10 and check, or both?

No sir I mean milk the rooster, and visualy check the viability of his essence, there are clues he will give if the samples are less than optimal or are very good. I know I know it sounds wierd but it's not, it's a common practice among those who are serious and provides a very useful tool in a breeders arsenal.

 

[bruceha2000]

Whoa, don't the birds fry in the black barrels in the summer?