Hello From Hesperia!!

Date sort Score sort
PoultryVines

PoultryVines

In the Brooder
5 Years
Dec 31, 2014
47
4
26
Hesperia, Ca
My husband and I have recently added chickens to our list of homestead hobbies. We also garden and have a small vineyard. We bought 3 chicks from our local feed store and kept them in the house until they were big enough to go out into the little chicken tractor i had picked up at OSH, which was intended to be more yard art than anything else. We quickly realized that they would not last long and built a coop but did not get it finished before the neighbors dog got in and got all 3. Needless to say, the coop was made 'predator proof' and the neighbor replaced them with 4 juveniles, one turned out to be a rooster, so now we are back to 3. We have 2 Plymouth Rocks and the other i am not sure but the closest picture i have found is a Sicilian Buttercup. We expected them to begin laying a couple of weeks ago. My sister read that hens may hold their eggs for fertilization when a rooster is around? We just got rid of him 2 days ago so maybe soon!!!!
 
Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

I'm terribly sorry about your losses and rooster!
hugs.gif


As long as the male had enough to mate with your hens, then yes, the hens will probably be fertile for at least two weeks. But it depends on their age.

Happy New Year!
 
Last edited:
Sorry for your loss and welcome to BYC. A hen can hold sperm for about two weeks and will use it to fertilize any eggs she lays. How old are your hens?

Have a happy New Year
Alyssa
 
We got them from a relative of the neighbor who's dog got the first ones. With the language barrier it was difficult to tell exactly how old they were. Our best guess is that they are just at 6 months. The rooster had just begun crowing last week.
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!
frow.gif


So sorry for your losses. Good luck establishing your new flock and welcome to ours!
 
Well it was nice that the neighbor made restitution - most people do not. Hope he has done something about his dog running loose. The coops and predator sections should have advice about securing coop/runs. Dogs (generally house pets or neighbor's dogs running loose) are close to the top predators of chickens. I think only raccoons kill more.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom