Fertility of roo's & eggs

[nccatnip]

I am just now getting a few eggs, the girls are being a bit of slackers. But my question is what are the chances of my eggs (and ones soon to come) being fertile? Do roosters come "fully loaded" at this age (24 weeks) and proficient at hitting the mark? I would love to hatch out some chicks but would rather eat the eggs if the chances are slim.

 

[nccatnip]

Bump, still seeking answers

 

[rooster-red]

I think there is a learning curve.

 

[speckledhen]

I bought my Barred Rock rooster, Hawkeye, when he was about 10 months old, the same age as my Girls. He'd never had contact with hens. After a month's quarantine, he went in with them and was running the show and doing everything a rooster should do, except mating the girls, who were pretty independent women and weren't exactly getting the hang of having a hubby. He was very laid back and sweet about the whole thing. They'd squat for me, but not Hawkeye. It took five months to get one fertile egg from the bunch, and then only from my Barred Rock hen, Lexie. Still, he doesn't quite get it done with most of my original flock, for some reason, although I see him mate almost every one of them except two of the Wyandottes.

 

[ella]

Go ahead and eat the eggs for now.

A hen's first eggs are called pullet eggs and are usually smaller and have thicker shells than an older hen's eggs and are not as likely to hatch out well. Give them all a while to get the hang of things.