I am toying with the idea of raising a handful of chicks come summer months. This is my situation.....I have a chicken tractor and 5 hens. I wouldn't keep the chicks since I have a friend who wants some for her farm. However, I have no roo. What can I do if choose a hen to breed? Do I have to keep her seperate from the other hens once she's been bred, laying, or keeping babes warm? Any feedback on how to go about this would be helpful. Thanks Stephanie
You can just put a rooster in with your ladies. He will breed all of them, but chances are he will pick a favorite or two. Most people don't "hand breed" but you can if you want to. That would entail keeping him seperated and bringing the hen you want mated to him every couple of days. Although sperm CAN live in a hen for several weeks, if you want fertile eggs for hatching, every few days is best. If the hen hatches chicks in the tractor (is never seperated from the group) the rest of your chickens *should* accept the babies into the flock. If you seperate her while she sits, she will need to be seperated for a month or so-or until you give the babies away, whichever comes first. If they are artificially incubated and you decide to keep some, I would wait until they are about three months old or nearly full grown before putting them with the rest.
I was wondering about this issue as well. I'd like to get some hens and then pimp them out with a rooster to get some chicks. Just wondering if it's easier to get eggs or calling up a chicken stud? (is that possible?)
I'm going to try and ( as you called it ) pimp out my hen. I know of one person who has a big flock so I'm sure I can get one for a couple days. With the proper planning, I think I am going to give it a try. Where would be my best source of info. on letting nature take care of the whole process?