Happy Flock - and removing the rooster. Will it affect the morale?

[higgy62]

Hi Gang.
So, after 5 months we are now getting eggs. So Happy!!!
I have a wonderful flock of 12 chickens - snowball (one of the lavenders) turned out to be a very healthy rooster - sweet, and attentive. So, 11 hens, one roo.

The girls are all very happy and seem to know their pecking order, and snowball is doing his duties. We have a very secure and large coop/run and they are very well adjusted / healthy chickens!

I know there are many reasons to have a rooster - I'm not going to go into all that here....

Questions for everyone.
First, I realize that we can eat fertilized eggs, as longs as we take the eggs out of the nesting boxes daily and the girls don't get broody and insist on sitting on them. We just don't want the eggs to start developing. Correct? Let me know your thoughts.

Second, my daughter is pretty adamant about re-homing snowball even though he is awesome (yes, he started to crow about a week ago, but is not too noisy - he is also very sweet and not aggressive to us or the little kids). She doesn't want fertilized eggs. I understand her thoughts. My question - if we re-home Snowball, what happens to the morale of the rest of the flock? Will it be an issue? After all, Snowball is the dominant presence currently.

Finally, how long can an egg sit in the nesting box if one of the girls decides to sit on them before it starts to develop (and we shouldn't use it as breakfast egg). 1 day, 2, 3??? And, if we don't remove the eggs daily, will it cause the girls to become broody?

FYI, I'm very diligent about food, water and cleanliness - I check on them in the morning before work and when I arrive back at home before dusk daily - and when home during the day/weekend, will check on them more often. I plan on removing the eggs from the nesting boxes daily.

I'm interested in hearing about your experiences.

Thanks, Howie

 

[Henry&Friends]

First, I realize that we can eat fertilized eggs, as longs as we take the eggs out of the nesting boxes daily and the girls don't get broody and insist on sitting on them. We just don't want the eggs to start developing. Correct? Let me know your thoughts.

While generally eggs should be removed on a daily or semi daily basis, they can sit out there for weeks. The problem with leaving eggs is that hens can accidentally break an egg & make a huge mess, eat the eggs and develop egg eating tendencies, poop on the eggs (shouldn’t happen if hens don’t sleep in nests) or go broody and incubate the eggs. I’m lazy and haven’t taken eggs in a few days.

Second, my daughter is pretty adamant about re-homing snowball even though he is awesome (yes, he started to crow about a week ago, but is not too noisy - he is also very sweet and not aggressive to us or the little kids). She doesn't want fertilized eggs. I understand her thoughts. My question - if we re-home Snowball, what happens to the morale of the rest of the flock? Will it be an issue? After all, Snowball is the dominant presence currently.

With snowball removed, the hens will jostle for that open spot. There could be an all out war, or there could be three pecks between the hens before they settle. The best advice I can give is to keep an eye out on them, and if they begin to beat a hen excessively, shun her, etc. etc. then you’ll have to intervene.

Finally, how long can an egg sit in the nesting box if one of the girls decides to sit on them before it starts to develop (and we shouldn't use it as breakfast egg). 1 day, 2, 3??? And, if we don't remove the eggs daily, will it cause the girls to become broody?

the eggs can sit there for a week or two, but should be removed daily or semi-daily so that none are broken, brooded or crapped on.


Oh and poopy eggs stay stained if you let them sit, so I try to empty nests as often as possible

 

[NuggetTheChicken]

There is no problem with eating fertilized eggs. They won't develop unless it is 99.9 degrees and the right humidity, which is unlikely. If you have breeds that tend to go broody, the eggs won't develop in the matter of a few hours, it'll take at least 2 days straight of brooding. If you take the rooster out, then there will be some pecking order issues. The hens will fight with each other to establish the top hen, the equivalent of a rooster. A rooster keeps his girls in check and stops fight in between them. Since yours is still a young cockerel, you can't really be sure about his temperament, especially around kids. My cockerel was okay when he was young but started attacking me. I have now taught him some respect and he is almost one. I wouldn't any cockerel with kids. However if he respects you keep him. Roosters are nice to have. They protect their girls and warn for aerial predators. It is up to you to keep him.

 

[BjaJra826]

Ethically, fertilized eggs are not any more alive than nonfertilized eggs. And just because an egg is fertiluzed doesn't mean that it would produce a chick. Conditions need to be perfect and the genetics on point. Even then, anyone who has incubated chicks will tell you that some cannot breath air, some never hatch, some never develop. Like all life, it is kinda a crapshoot. If you don't find unfertilized eggs unethical, then fertilized eggs are no different. The egg would need constant heat and humidity for 4 days before any noticable biology develops.

 

[higgy62]

There is no problem with eating fertilized eggs. They won't develop unless it is 99.9 degrees and the right humidity, which is unlikely. If you have breeds that tend to go broody, the eggs won't develop in the matter of a few hours, it'll take at least 2 days straight of brooding. If you take the rooster out, then there will be some pecking order issues. The hens will fight with each other to establish the top hen, the equivalent of a rooster. A rooster keeps his girls in check and stops fight in between them. Since yours is still a young cockerel, you can't really be sure about his temperament, especially around kids. My cockerel was okay when he was young but started attacking me. I have now taught him some respect and he is almost one. I wouldn't any cockerel with kids. However if he respects you keep him. Roosters are nice to have. They protect their girls and warn for aerial predators. It is up to you to keep him.

Yeah, I'm worried about the fighting (or at least establishing a new pecking order) - I imagine it wont take long, but not sure. There is plenty of room in the run for them to escape and prevent getting picked on... but when they were very young (like 5 weeks), one of the pullets was pecked on and she lost more than a little feathering. She actually bled and I had to separate / isolate them for a few days. I'm hoping to avoid all of that.

 

[Geena]

Whenever I've removed a rooster from hens they never missed a beat. If anything they seem calmer and more content without him. I've also never noticed any pecking order issues after either adding or taking away a rooster. I'm not so sure a rooster is necessarily "the boss" the way people often make them out to be. Provider and protector, for sure, but always calling all the shots and keeping everyone in line... that's not something I've ever observed.

 

[higgy62]

Ethically, fertilized eggs are not any more alive than nonfertilized eggs. And just because an egg is fertiluzed doesn't mean that it would produce a chick. Conditions need to be perfect and the genetics on point. Even then, anyone who has incubated chicks will tell you that some cannot breath air, some never hatch, some never develop. Like all life, it is kinda a crapshoot. If you don't find unfertilized eggs unethical, then fertilized eggs are no different. The egg would need constant heat and humidity for 4 days before any noticable biology develops.

All very good points. Thanks so much!

Personally, it is not an ethical issue for us. My daughter was traumatized a few years back when she was "chicken sitting" a neighbor's flock. She would go every few days to make sure they had food/water and collect the eggs. One of the eggs which she collected and used for breakfast turned out to be partially developed, and she just freaked out (as you can imagine). She doesn't want any chance of this. I personally believe the advantages of having a roo more than out weigh the disadvantages... I'm Looking for experiences with egg layers and those who have roo's as part of their flock.

I'm also looking for discussion points to have with my daughter (the chicks as much hers as mine)... plus, the kids have taken to them as you can see in the photo.

 

[higgy62]

Whenever I've removed a rooster from hens they never missed a beat. If anything they seem calmer and more content without him. I've also never noticed any pecking order issues after either adding or taking away a rooster. I'm not so sure a rooster is necessarily "the boss" the way people often make them out to be. Provider and protector, for sure, but always calling all the shots and keeping everyone in line... that's not something I've ever observed.

Thanks Geena - Very good question - I have a dozen chickens - one of which is a roo. Their coop and run is very large, and incredibly safe and secure. As of now, they have not free ranged out of the covered area so there has been no thread of predators. So, I wonder if I would experience the exact same thing if snowball is removed. My inner self would think the chickens say to themselves... "hey, what happened to snowball"... and cause un-necessary distraction, distress.?? But... they are just little dinosours. My daughter hears this logic and says I need to get a dog (ROFL). I dunno.

 

[higgy62]

While generally eggs should be removed on a daily or semi daily basis, they can sit out there for weeks. The problem with leaving eggs is that hens can accidentally break an egg & make a huge mess, eat the eggs and develop egg eating tendencies, poop on the eggs (shouldn’t happen if hens don’t sleep in nests) or go broody and incubate the eggs. I’m lazy and haven’t taken eggs in a few days.



With snowball removed, the hens will jostle for that open spot. There could be an all out war, or there could be three pecks between the hens before they settle. The best advice I can give is to keep an eye out on them, and if they begin to beat a hen excessively, shun her, etc. etc. then you’ll have to intervene.



the eggs can sit there for a week or two, but should be removed daily or semi-daily so that none are broken, brooded or crapped on.


Oh and poopy eggs stay stained if you let them sit, so I try to empty nests as often as possible

Good to know. As there is a lot of room, they tend to lay where there is no poop (and have started to use the nesting boxes). I'm currently not worried about "poopy eggs", but you make a very good point.

 

[NuggetTheChicken]

All very good points. Thanks so much!

Personally, it is not an ethical issue for us. My daughter was traumatized a few years back when she was "chicken sitting" a neighbor's flock. She would go every few days to make sure they had food/water and collect the eggs. One of the eggs which she collected and used for breakfast turned out to be partially developed, and she just freaked out (as you can imagine). She doesn't want any chance of this. I personally believe the advantages of having a roo more than out weigh the disadvantages... I'm Looking for experiences with egg layers and those who have roo's as part of their flock.

I'm also looking for discussion points to have with my daughter (the chicks as much hers as mine)... plus, the kids have taken to them as you can see in the photo.

It could have been a large blood spot or uterine lining shedding. That would scare me as well if I saw it.