Cockerel Breeding

[Optimus16195]

Hi Friends,
Last Month, I posted a question thread on identifying Pullet or Cockerel on Leghorn Chicks.
1) Now Can I Breed my 21 weeks old two Leghorn Chicks with other Variety Pullets?
Earlier I had bought Cockerel Chicks as Dyed ( Colored) 1 week old Chicks from shop in India.
2)What is the Lifetime of Dyed (Colored) Leghorn Chicks?
They Started to crow from 17 weeks and their Main Diet is Cooked White Rice!!!!!
3)Suggestions for selecting country side Pullet in India?
What Pullets are suitable for Egglaying(with/without breeding) in India?
When to expect Egglaying?


P.S: I am new to this,so please guide me.

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

Are you asking for a good breed, or gender? Do you mean they put dye (like hair dye on it)

 

[Optimus16195]

Are you asking for a good breed, or gender? Do you mean they put dye (like hair dye on it)

Color Dye in india

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

Color Dye in india

ok, do you have pictures? I would love to help, but I'm not sure I understand the question. (that also could be because I'm tired)

 

[aart]

Not sure if the dying of chicks poses a threat the their longevity.
It's considered 'cruel' here in the USA and I believe is illegal to dye chicks.

For most breeds onset of lay is 18-28 weeks.

Leghorns should be pretty good layers, have no idea where you'd get pullets in India.

 

[Ridgerunner]

1) Now Can I Breed my 21 weeks old two Leghorn Chicks with other Variety Pullets?
Earlier I had bought Cockerel Chicks as Dyed ( Colored) 1 week old Chicks from shop in India.

At 21 weeks the cockerels are probably mature enough to fertilize eggs if the pullets or mature hens will let them mate. The problem can be that 5 month old cockerels are often not mature enough in their behaviors for the pullets or hens to allow them to mate. They are still immature teenagers and the females may not deem them worthy of being the father of their children.

Of course the pullets have to be old enough to lay eggs. But there is another issue. When a pullet first starts to lay eggs her first eggs are pretty small. They get larger as she lays but often her body isn't fully grown so nature makes her first eggs small to make it easier on her body to lay eggs. Any chicks that hatch from those eggs will not be as big and strong as chicks that hatch from larger eggs. Also, laying an egg capable of hatching is a complicated process, everything has to be put together correctly. Sometimes it takes a pullet some time to work out all the bugs in her internal egg making factory.

It is possible to hatch those first pullet eggs and get healthy chicks, but your hatch rate may be poorer. Survival rates could be less. I have hatched pullet eggs and find I do better if I wait until the pullet has been laying at least a month.

2)What is the Lifetime of Dyed (Colored) Leghorn Chicks?

I don't know what those chicks were dyed with but it was probably food coloring. That is what they typically use here in the States to dye chicks. The dying should not affect their lifespan, it should be the same as any other leghorn chick. Much like dying your hair does not change your lifespan. It is not that dying the chick harms it (depending on the dye) but it tempts people to buy the chick as a gift for kids that are not able to take care of it, sometimes leading to the chicken having a miserable life and being mistreated. That's the same reason we often have a minimum limit of buying six chicks at a time. People are a lot less likely to buy six chicks as a gift for someone not in a position to care for them. In some places these practices are legal, some they are mot.

3)Suggestions for selecting country side Pullet in India?
What Pullets are suitable for Egglaying(with/without breeding) in India?

I don't now what breeds or types of chickens are available to you in India. I would think you have some pretty unique chickens and at least some of the ones available here, like leghorns. A rooster will mate any hen of any breed or color, so you can get fertile eggs from any pullets or hens when they are old enough. Some hens go broody a lot, some never do. Is going broody important to you or will you use an incubator? Some breeds tend to go broody a lot more than other breeds (leghorns typically do not go broody), but you can get individual hens of any breed that do not follow typical patterns. What do you know about your options, which breeds or types are available to you?

When to expect Egglaying?

A very common question with no good answer. They will lay when they lay. I've had pullets start to lay as early as 16 weeks, thought that is extremely rare. I've had some wait more than nine months before they lay their first egg. There can be breed tendencies but each chicken is an individual and does her own thing. If I had a flock of 10 pullets I'd expect to see the first egg somewhere around five months of age. Could be earlier, could be later. I'd expect most of them to be laying by seven months of age. But each chicken is different and each flock is different.

 

[centrarchid]

Main Diet is Cooked White Rice

 

[ChocolateMouse]

1) Now Can I Breed my 21 weeks old two Leghorn Chicks with other Variety Pullets?
Earlier I had bought Cockerel Chicks as Dyed ( Colored) 1 week old Chicks from shop in India.

Yes, you can. This is fine.

2)What is the Lifetime of Dyed (Colored) Leghorn Chicks?
As long as the dyes were non toxic, a normal lifespan. This could be as little as 4-5 years or as long as 10-12 years, depending on the health of the birds and predators.

They Started to crow from 17 weeks and their Main Diet is Cooked White Rice!!!!!

Cooked white rice is not a sufficient diet. I suggest looking into mixed grains and legumes (peas and beans) and a calcium source. Chickens need a wide variety of minerals, plants and proteins/amino acids to thrive. If you have a lot of land you may be able to free-range and only supplement with rice but your chickens will not be as productive or healthy as if they are fed a good diet.

3)Suggestions for selecting country side Pullet in India?
What Pullets are suitable for Egglaying(with/without breeding) in India?
When to expect Egglaying?

Most chickens start to lay between 16 weeks and 30 weeks. Given that very few of us live in India, it may be better for you to list the breeds of chickens you have available where you live and we can tell you which ones are best for what things.

 

[ldrchickens]

Main Diet is Cooked White Rice

Very Alarming!