Fertile eggs and rooster question

[lonestarwoodcrafter]

I want to start breeding American Bresse for self sufficiency meat birds. How often does my rooster need to be in with my hens for me to get fertilized eggs. Also, what incubator is recommended for a beginner? I want to try to raise about 15-20 birds at a time for meat and keep a good parent flock. Currently I’m going to purchase about a dozen day old chicks and see how many roosters and hen I get from them and go from there keeping one or two roosters and most of the hens I get. I have the space to keep them separate when needed.

Thank you

 

[Aunt Angus]

I'd just leave the rooster with them, tbh. I see no need to separate them.

 

[lonestarwoodcrafter]

I was just worried that if I only end up with 4-5 hens they might get beat up by the rooster trying to over breed.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I was just worried that if I only end up with 4-5 hens they might get beat up by the rooster trying to over breed.

Oh, ok. Makes sense. In that case, I'd leave one with them and rotate the fellas. Or just keep one rooster in with them and keep a grow-out for the other cockerels until you process them.

 

[Mrs. K]

This will be fun. Raise them all together until 10 to 12vweeks. Then pull all the roosters into a bachelor pad until most of your pullets start laying. Meanwhile start thinning your cockerels. You could easily get 12 cockerels.
1st cut- cull anything you don’t like around 14 weeks. Wait two weeks and divide the Roos into not so good, and maybe keepers, with the goal of having two or three in the maybe bunch. Evaluate according to the SOP’s.

Then try one with your laying birds, see if the like him. See if you like him. If not try the other. At that point I would keep him with his flock all the time.

But do consider, not every rooster works out, and you may wind up with none. Then you should look around, see if someone else has a good rooster, or wait a year, and try again. Personally, the last is what I would do if these are your only birds.

I prefer roosters raised up under older birds in an established flock. They behave better, and have better flock manners understanding chicken society.

Mrs K

 

[gimmie birdies]

The rooster I just got 3 weeks ago just started to fertilize eggs. I just wanted a few eggs to go with some shipped eggs. At 3 weeks I could tell he was not fertilizing all. But I did have 20 hens. I got the eggs I wanted and gave him to a different farm.

I have been enjoying my Little Giant incubator with fan and turners, then I move them on lockdown day to a farm innovators still air so the hatching mess doesn't happen with my fan incubator.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

For about 20 eggs, I'd really recommend a nature right 360

 

[lonestarwoodcrafter]

I was looking at the reviews for Murray McMurray and it seems most don’t like their version of the American Bresse. Are there any other recommendations for American Bresse chicks to be shipped to new Braunfels TX?