discreet rooster?

[cariboujaguar]

I am yet to catch my roo 'in the act' but the eggs I've opened have been fertilized... I've had the hens for a few weeks so the previous roosters semen can't be viable any longer, right? Just wondering if he's warming up to his surroundings, he was pretty badly beat up when I got him and I'm hoping he's happy here... also he's the guy w/ 6 toes on each foot, will his offspring (crossed with Marans) have 6 toes or 4?

 

[basicliving]

It's possible for a hen to lay fertile eggs for a few weeks after mating - possibly even four weeks.

You obviously care a lot for your chickens, and it sounds like you rescued him from a miserable situation if he was beat up pretty badly, so I'm sure he's happy now! Give him a little time and I bet he'll settle in very nicely.

Take care,
Penny

 

[cariboujaguar]

Oh nifty, so they may be some orp/marans mutts and then this guy, maybe I'll get a mixed hatching, if they hatch that is

Yes I do care about my chickens alot, thanks for saying that!

 

[basicliving]

Sometimes mutts are the best! But if you don't want them, it just means you'll need to wait a little while before incubating those eggs or letting a broody set on them.

I'm not really sure how dominate that toe gene thing is. My alpha roo is a Silver Gray Dorking with 5 toes and my beta roo is a Phoenix with 4 toes. My broodies hatched out 5 eggs a couple of months ago and 3 of them are obviously the SGD offspring - but only 2 have the 5 toes, one cockeral and one pullet. I've got broodies on 13 eggs right now, and I'm interested to see how many 5 toes come out of these hatches.