Fertilized?

[farmerPEEPS]

Hey guys,
I have a 5month old rooster.I was keeping him with the hens but I was wonder what is the chance of the eggs being fertilized. How do I know if they're fertilized or not and if they are fertilized how do I get my hens to sit on them?

 

[Judy]

The chances are very good they are fertile, whether you see him mating or not, as long as he is about the same :
size as the hens, and they don't have hugely fluffy butts. here is how to tell whether an egg is fertile:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/16008/how-to-tell-a-fertile-vs-infertile-egg-pictures/0_20

I don't know of any way to get a hen to go broody. It is a hormone change, and is much more likely to happen in spring or summer. Certain breeds are much more likely to go broody than others, as well.

 

[aart]

Here's a pic to tell how to identify whether rooster is getting the job done.

You can't force a hen to go broody, either she is or she isn't...you can always use an incubator.