Houdans

[Cknldy]

Sometimes I can post pics just fine and other times I guess it "embeds image" somewhere in 'net space! Was trying to post a pic of one on the roost.

 

[Chambertin]

Happy New Year to all the Houdans and Helpers out there
Have a great celebration with the best feathered or featherless company you can

 

[Puddin Fluff]

hello all. Been offline for a while as I got a full time job in October and it cut into my computer time. anyway, glad to see the Houdan crowd is still going. My birds are from the University of arkansas. I am down to one girl. The boys had to go as we just have a small mixed flock. Spike had her first full molt and I need to get a pic of her new coloring. She is much whiter than she was as a pullet.

The first imahe is her the second is a male from the same hatch. I neI will post again whan I get a new pic. (excuse the terrible spelling etc. but my computer is acting up.):/

 

[Laingcroft]

Wish I lived close enough to get to the U of AR, alas, too long of a drive.

HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone and many, many happy Houdan hatches in 2014!

 

[Puddin Fluff]

Happy new year to you as well. I look forward to seeing everyones fluff balls in the new year.

 

[LemonMeringue]

I have an incubator now and am considering seeing if we can let our hen go have a "visit" with a Mottled Houdan Rooster. If I could get that to happen how long would she need to be with him to get some fertile eggs?

 

[Chambertin]

If I remember right, it happens within 1 or 2 eggs of the mating (depending on cycle timing), and lasts for up to 7 days depending on the quality of the rooster.

I recommend checking the eggs after the meeting for the tell tale spot. It does lose one fertile egg, but its the best evidence the job was done.
Take the next 4, maybe 5 or 6 and put them in the incubator. (or in a cool place on the side to wait for the next batch)
Send her over for a second visit and repeat.

Once you have the desired number of eggs get them warmed up & incubating.
Fertile eggs will keep for up to 7 days with no real effect on developability. Some can even stay stable for up to 14 days.
Good luck!

 

[LemonMeringue]

If I remember right, it happens within 1 or 2 eggs of the mating (depending on cycle timing), and lasts for up to 7 days depending on the quality of the rooster.

I recommend checking the eggs after the meeting for the tell tale spot. It does lose one fertile egg, but its the best evidence the job was done.
Take the next 4, maybe 5 or 6 and put them in the incubator. (or in a cool place on the side to wait for the next batch)
Send her over for a second visit and repeat.

Once you have the desired number of eggs get them warmed up & incubating.
Fertile eggs will keep for up to 7 days with no real effect on developability. Some can even stay stable for up to 14 days.
Good luck!

So are you saying from one successful mating we can have a weeks worth of fertile eggs? I didn't know if they would need to have a dinner date and stay over for a night or two, lol. Just having a successful mating and taking an afternoon sounds much better.

 

[Chambertin]

That's the theory.
We always had at least two roos who lived by "once isnt enough" so I couldnt fully confirm it.
Still 7 days of rest for an egg after laying is a-ok & fertile eggs do come out 4 days after the last mating.

So long as everything is lined up, one good mating should give you 4 good eggs.

 

[LemonMeringue]

Well, we found out this evening that we won't be able to follow through on that plan. They said that the roo is about to go into the soup pot because he is being SERIOUSLY aggressive. We did notice that he was being MORE aggressive(more so than when we gave him to them. But he wasn't full grown or matured yet) when we saw him at the fair. But apparently it has gotten so bad that he is attacking people regularly. I sure wouldn't want babies like that.

I guess we will see what the future holds. Maybe we will come across a better plan. Kind of sad.