Hens are laying now, most eggs fertile...

[funnybirds]

Fred's Hens :

If you want to save some of that rooster's DNA, you should gather the egss over an 8-10 period, keep them cool, pointy end down. Go for a hatch. If you only have 16 eggs and only 6 produce live chicks, well.. that is that.

I suspect you are under the gun to say goodbye to the neighborhood fog horn. You don't apparently have 3 months wait until everyone involved is more mature.

But, I also wonder if you stated the age of the rooster correctly. Hatched in December, 2010? That is one very young rooster to use for breeding.... but again, if it is what you wish to do, do it while you can.

Yes, my little Polish Roo was hatched Dec. 21. He's the roo in the avatar , although he is even more stunning now. (approx, 2 months older then that picture). I will try and post a more recent pic later.
He's appears to be very active with the girls and most of the eggs I have checked have a halo around the white spot so I'm assuming they are fertile.

He spends most of his day trying to woo our big fluffy Cochin hen which is "ambitious" as she is almost twice his size in feathers.
He used to be a very sweet and quiet young man until I re homed the other two Roos from that same hatch. Now he won't shut up. And it's all day, every day.

I'm hoping to keep him for two more weeks. My neighbors haven't complained ... Yet...

And yes, the eggs are normal shape, medium sized and smooth. Except my sultan who lays a small egg which I think is standard for the breed. And strangely is my most consistent layer. Go figure.

Also yes, three laying hens. And three eggs a day. Not 9. Which would be awesome for us but exhausting for the hens ;-)

Thanks for the advice. I will try and hatch everything I collect for the next week. I hope this works!​

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Some people even ask for fertile eggs for eating thinking they're nutritionally superior.
The only difference is 1 sperm cell. Can't really make any difference. The primary nutrition is from the yolk and albumen.
I think cell division happens above 72 degrees. Still a lot of cells would need to divide to make any noticeable visible difference.

When buying chicks I always buy straight run and had been harvesting as they begin to crow.
A couple days later the next one starts to crow.

A dozen free eggs may keep complaints from neighbors to a minimum. Even if you have to buy a dozen farm eggs to keep your fertile ones.

Keep something else in mind. Polish are cool but roosters are a dime a dozen. Unless he is exceptional show quality and pure to breed, preserving the DNA isn't an important consideration.
Chickens(including roosters) are the most populous vertibrate on the planet.

 

[Jacobnlynn]

I've been getting eggs from my neighbors flock of Black Australorps. They are 6 months old, just started laying. The eggs are NOT very fertile at all. One in a dozen. He just isn't mature enough or something. She says he's been busy.. it's just not fertilizing the eggs.. he's shooting mostly blanks.

You could try incubating.. you'll know in 4 days if they are fertile or not. Best to keep peace with the neighbors... maybe keep the rooster inside except to visit his ladies? Until you get some chicks.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Quote:
good points

Out of fear of reprisal, I kept mine in the coop till after 8 AM even though it slowed onset of pullets laying but no early noise.
Then my neighbor told me she didn't know I had chickens. WOO HOO!!

Not very fertile could just be too many hens/pullets per roo.
lots of other possibilities.
disease
nutrition
parasites
age
care of eggs prior to incubation
just to name a few