Hatching eggs quality

[archeryrob]

How do you make sure you get good quality hatching eggs? I have noticed we have a roosting tree I have built in our run. Its a 2x4 drop with 2' 2x4's going out in 4 directions and having 45° braces. Three hens can sit on one if they pack in there. The hens have figured when in the run they can hit the roost tree to avoid being humped. The roo is not getting action normally until we let them free range later in the day and not every day since we have other things to do, or it is freaking raining, again, as usual.

Do you guys have a plan for assuring quality semination for the eggs? A small area the hens can't get away from the rooster?

I converted over a free rabbit hutch we go and added a nesting box on it and threw our one broody hen in it. Put a dozen eggs under her and hopping for the best. I am assuming half or less could be fertile and would like to improve the odds on the next run.

 

[Squishychicken]

What breed birds are these?

 

[archeryrob]

RIR and Leghorn hens and a Brahma Rooster. Later I will be adding a second coop this year with Cornish to raise my own meat chicks next year. I need to practice this to make it work better and looking for advice.

 

[Gray Farms]

How many hens? Just the one rooster?

 

[archeryrob]

14 active hens and the one rooster. I plan to only have 1 rooster with the cornish with maybe 5 hens or maybe 6

 

[Gray Farms]

Brahmas can be lazy breeders. I'd recommend getting another. Also "fluffy" breeds like Brahmas, Cochins, & Orpingtons should have their feathers trimmed around their vents to improve fertility. Above the vent on females and below the vent on males.

 

[Squishychicken]

X2 agree with gray farms. Trimming the butt feathers will help improve fertility. They can sometimes get in the way of the fluffy breeds.

 

[chickens really]

Well..I bred Orpington and Brahma cross and definitely never had to trim vents for fertile eggs. And my Brahma was respectful and bred daily but never on my Hens steady either.. when I'm hatching eggs I only supply Oyster shell once every couple of weeks in a small bowl and feed a Grower finisher feed to make sure my egg shells are hatch able and not too hard..

 

[Fairview01]

First a hen does not need to be covered by a rooster more than once a week.

Second trimming the feathers around the vent area will produce a porcupine effect of quills. A rooster will have nothing to do with the hen in this condition nor will a hen tolerate a rooster in similar shape. The feathers should be plucked to avoid this.

Third most of the breeding action takes place right after sunrise. It happens throughout the day but most of the action right when they leave roost.

Throw a very small amount of scratch in the run during the day. If he's a good rooster he will go over to the scratch and cluck letting the hens know there's good food to be had. That's how they sucker the hens into close range to ambush them.

I really doubt you have a problem. Just because you don't see them mate doesn't mean it isn't happening. I got 3 months of fertile eggs out of one of my pens before I saw him cover one his girls. We don't always see what's going on outside.

 

[Mosey2003]

Throw a very small amount of scratch in the run during the day. If he's a good rooster he will go over to the scratch and cluck letting the hens know there's good food to be had. That's how they sucker the hens into close range to ambush them.