Cross breeding???

[AnnaWatson]

I'm wondering if my hens can hatch out babies from a different species of chicken? I have 32 different kinds of hens and 6 different kinds of roosters. I worry that I probably have to many roosters. But they seem to get along fine for now. I would really like for my hens to be able to hatch out chicks!! So is it possible for my hens to lay fertile eggs from a rooster of a different kind or species?

 

[KPenley]

As long as they're chickens, yes!

 

[AnnaWatson]

Yep. All chicks well I have some peacocks that share the coup with them, but I know that can't happen. I'm so happy to hear that. Also, is there a way you can tell fertile eggs from non fertile ones?

 

[KPenley]

If you crack them open, non fertile eggs have a small white spot. Fertile eggs have a small white circle (like a bullseye). Or you could incubate them and candle at around 7 days to watch for veining.

 

[AnnaWatson]

My hen lays on them. I was just wondering because I only just experienced it once. It was great, but the whole time I was thinking. Poor hen, what if she's just sitting there for nothing. I rarely seen her get up to eat or drink! So I put food and water in front of her.

 

[dretd]

I'm wondering if my hens can hatch out babies from a different species of chicken? I have 32 different kinds of hens and 6 different kinds of roosters. I worry that I probably have to many roosters. But they seem to get along fine for now. I would really like for my hens to be able to hatch out chicks!! So is it possible for my hens to lay fertile eggs from a rooster of a different kind or species?

Just for clarification, all chickens are the same species and different breeds of chickens can inter-breed (with the exception of maybe little bantams and big girls--just not physically possible) and produce chicks, often times called barnyard mixes.

When I first read your question I thought, 'well, I've heard of people using broody chickens to hatch out duck eggs and turkey eggs etc,' so you can use the to hatch out different species eggs, but not the way you're asking.

There are a couple of threads here at BYC where folks have hatched out a true hybrid between a Guinea and a Chicken (sort of like a mule of the chicken world), so even cross-species fertility is possible but very rare.

Here is a link to a thread that has photos on what to look for in a fertilized egg vs an infertile egg. The comment I will make is that the slightly darker yellow splotches in the yolk that you see in the photo on both of the eggs is much easier to see on the fertilized eggs after a day or two. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/16008/how-to-tell-a-fertile-vs-infertile-egg-pictures

Good luck with your chickens! We hatched chicks under our broody last year and it was super-fun watching her mother-hen them. Plus it was waaaaay easier than brooding them myself!

 

[AnnaWatson]

That's what I meant. Different breeds. Lol. My bad.