Fertility

[chipens]

Would 12 hens to one rooster cause fertility issues?
I'm getting about 37% fertility
Blue orpington rooster probably around a year old, didn't hatch from him last season as was too young.
Hens mixed ages from about 3 years to around a year.
I've trimmed their bums
They're penned up and feed a good quality layer pellet, have grit available. They're laying well just not Fertile, mostly no bulls eyes.
I'm thinking of taking some hens out and leaving say 8?
Some hens showing he's doing his business feather loss on back etc
Help.

 

[jpalmatier83]

Would 12 hens to one rooster cause fertility issues?
I'm getting about 37% fertility
Blue orpington rooster probably around a year old, didn't hatch from him last season as was too young.
Hens mixed ages from about 3 years to around a year.
I've trimmed their bums
They're penned up and feed a good quality layer pellet, have grit available. They're laying well just not Fertile, mostly no bulls eyes.
I'm thinking of taking some hens out and leaving say 8?
Some hens showing he's doing his business feather loss on back etc
Help.

If he has a few favorites, or if only a few accept him, I don’t know that reducing the number of hens will help.

If he’s only mating 4 of 12, reducing the numbers won’t suddenly make him mate 8 of 8.

Hopefully there are other issues here someone else will notice.

Can you tell (by egg color/size/etc) if the fertile eggs are only coming from a few particular hens?

 

[chipens]

If he has a few favorites, or if only a few accept him, I don’t know that reducing the number of hens will help.

If he’s only mating 4 of 12, reducing the numbers won’t suddenly make him mate 8 of 8.

Hopefully there are other issues here someone else will notice.

Can you tell (by egg color/size/etc) if the fertile eggs are only coming from a few particular hens?

I'd have to have a closer look the next lot I put in incubator ( I've had same issue under hens also) so far I've set 35 eggs and 13 have been viable. First lot due to hatch 14/9.
If he's selecting hens would that put it down to him just being a 'bad rooster'?
I need to check that I trimmed his butt also fairly sure I did but can't remember.

 

[jpalmatier83]

I'd have to have a closer look the next lot I put in incubator ( I've had same issue under hens also) so far I've set 35 eggs and 13 have been viable. First lot due to hatch 14/9.
If he's selecting hens would that put it down to him just being a 'bad rooster'?
I need to check that I trimmed his butt also fairly sure I did but can't remember.

I don’t think that’d make him a bad rooster. If he’s only a year and he’s dealing with hens that are three they very well may have knocked him around a bit and so now he just heads toward the younger girls. Just more flock dynamics that could be less than ideal and hard to diagnose.

“Bad” roosters are human aggressive. They eat eggs. They flog and spur children. They attack and injure hens. They hoard food and dont “tid bit”. They don’t protect the flock.

If he’s not doing anything bad other than not mating all the hens and you’re thinking about removing some hens… See if you can identify the ones he’s breeding and which eggs are fertile. If it is the younger ones maybe consider moving a some of the older hens out and getting him some younger ones that may be more receptive.

All that said, chicken behaviors are a bit of a crap shoot. Good luck.