Fertilizing Eggs

[Ted Brown]

Next week I will introduce a new rooster to a flock of 16 hens; he has been quarantined for a month. I removed the original rooster 3 weeks ago in order to have the hens clear their systems.

Will be my first experience introducing a new rooster and I have no idea what to expect. Some say use a look don't touch method, others say just put them together and they will work it out. Still thinking about how I will proceed.

I will expand to 24 hens so want to get eggs into the incubator asap.

How long will it be before the hens are fertilized?

Thanks.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

How old/Experienced is the new male?

I tend to throw birds together but hang out for a while to keep an eye on them in case the new one is overwhelmed by the others

 

[Ted Brown]

How old/Experienced is the new male?

I tend to throw birds together but hang out for a while to keep an eye on them in case the new one is overwhelmed by the others

Wilfred is about 12 months old. He has no experience as he was kept in a separate cage with other cockerels.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Wilfred is about 12 months old. He has no experience as he was kept in a separate cage with other cockerels.

I would introduce slowly then since he will have little clue how to prove his standing with the ladies correctly

 

[Tonyroo]

One rooster won't fertilize all your hens in your time frame. If you want definite fertility, you should use a breeding pen. Four hens to one rooster.

Pick out the best quality of each hen and place them with the rooster. Remember each individual bird's traits will show up on the next generation.

 

[adstowe]

Odds are it's going to take some time before you see consistent fertility. When you first put him with your hens he's going to be immature, overwhelmed and confused on how to conduct himself. The girls will put him in his place and teach him manners, but it takes time. He'll likely breed a couple of the more submissive hens, but most of them are going to kick his butt when he tries it with them. Again... Time. He'll get there and putting him in with 16 mature hens is the best thing you can do for him. He needs that school yard treatment that they're about to give him. All that said, I'd just chuck him in there and let them figure it out. I'm not saying that's the correct approach, but that's what I'd do. After a few weeks start checking eggs for fertility. I wouldnt expect the rate to be high for at least a few weeks though. You can do the breeding pen approach and shave some time off. He'll only have to win over 3-4 hens that way. I still wouldn't expect it to be love at first sight though. Well, at least on their part. He'll be head over heels

 

[Ted Brown]

One rooster won't fertilize all your hens in your time frame. If you want definite fertility, you should use a breeding pen. Four hens to one rooster.

Thank you both.

The new roo is a Chantecler, 3 of the hens are also Chanteclers and my priority is to build the flock focusing on this breed.

I will move the 3 hens to my quarantine cage. How long should I keep them together in this cage before I integrate?

 

[Tonyroo]

How big is the cage? It will take a month or sooner together to get fertility happening. Monitoring the group will give you an indication of how fast it's progressing.

He will be rough with mating at first with the hens. It's not like he's able to watch another rooster do it to learn from. So patience and monitoring is key. You will need to break some eggs during the process to identify fertility.

 

[Tonyroo]

It's helpful to think about how many chicks you want. Once you obtain your goal amount in viable eggs is when you should integrate with the entire flock. Remember to hold on to extra eggs past your goal amount. Just incase you have some duds or incubation issues.

 

[Ted Brown]

How big is the cage? It will take a month or sooner together to get fertility happening. Monitoring the group will give you an indication of how fast it's progressing.

He will be rough with mating at first with the hens. It's not like he's able to watch another rooster do it to learn from. So patience and monitoring is key. You will need to break some eggs during the process to identify fertility.

Cage is 8' by 4' by 3'.

I will eat only Chantecler eggs for the next while, will allow me to monitor closely.

I only wish I had had three females to practice on when I was young.