hen vs rooster

[bcarthen]

So this might not be on the right thread but i did not see anywhere else to post it, so here it goes. I bought 7 buff orhpingtons and was told that they were all hens. I just had a hen go broody(tonight) and is currently sitting on one egg. One of the chickens does have a slightly larger comb than the others but im not convinced if it is a rooster(still thinking it is a hen). Unfortunatly i do not have any pictures. Will the broody hen sit on an unfertilized egg? What shout i do? Wait 21 days and see what happens or take the egg and put it in my fridge to eat? Any input would be appreciated.

 

[captainbeer]

Take the egg to eat. That's what I'd do


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[Folly's place]

Welcome! How old are your birds? Pullets, with a young cockerel, are unlikely to have eggs that will develop well. You can candle those eggs at five to seven days to see if any are developing under your broody, and if all are blanks, throw them out. If these are year old hens and rooster, they may do very well. Don't wait three weeks, check sooner. Mary

 

[bcarthen]

They are a year old. The problem is i am not 100% certain that there is a rooster in there. The only way i know how to tell the difference is looking at the comb and it is only slightly larger than the others. All are the same body size.

 

[Little Fuzzy]

It doesn't crow?

 

[bcarthen]

No

 

[Little Fuzzy]

Well I would guess it's a hen with a big comb. If you never see it mounting the hens or crowing. Yes hens will go broody and sit on unfertilized eggs, mine do it all the time.

 

[Folly's place]

So true! Either get some fertile eggs for your broody hen, or continue to discourage that behavior. Mary

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Welcome! How old are your birds? Pullets, with a young cockerel, are unlikely to have eggs that will develop well. You can candle those eggs at five to seven days to see if any are developing under your broody, and if all are blanks, throw them out. If these are year old hens and rooster, they may do very well. Don't wait three weeks, check sooner. Mary

Never incubate an egg from a pullet who is capable of laying large eggs (24 ounces per dozen) unless her eggs are that large.

Extremely young roosters (Cockerels) will only produce weak chicks if the eggs that they fertilized indeed hatch. So don't breed them until they are matured.

I can never understand why someone would try to hatch eggs from a 16 week old hen or take a risk on their grand children's health by allowing their 11 year old son or daughter to have children.