how long...

[spoolin]

well since i dont have rooster, mt friend is going to let me put my hens with his rooster at his house.

so what should i be looking for? and how long should i leave them at my friends house with the rooster for? and yes i am taking my nest with me.
thank you

 

[horsejody]

Are you just trying to get fertile eggs? Moving the hens back and forth may cause enough stress that they stop laying for a while. They only need to be with him for a few days for him to breed them. I have heard that sometimes (not always) a hen can stay fertile for up to 3 weeks. However, you do run the risk that the stress will stop them for laying for that period of time. Also, consider that even a healthy chicken can spread disease. Whenever new birds come in they should be quarantined for 30 days. I wouldn't take your bird to the rooster. If you want fertile eggs, it would be better to just get your own rooster.

Of course, if you just want eggs and don't care if they are fertile, you don't need a rooster at all.

 

[spoolin]

the thing is that i had a rooster, but my neighbors didnt like it and they told me i had to get rid of it. so i took it to my friends house, and he said i could let my chickens stay at his place with the my old rooster (8months old).

 

[spoolin]

anyone..... i was planning on taking my hens on wednsday this week.
thank you

 

[jlmann]

They would probably have to stay for a long time because moving them will definately cause laying problems and they would have to stay until they started laying again. Do your neighbors have the right to tell you to get rid of your roo ?

 

[spoolin]

i don't want to be a horrible neighbor, plus they're nice people. until i had the rooster. thanks for your comments.

 

[jlmann]

I can understand about not wanting to be a bad neighbor but if there are no laws against having chickens in your area I would explain to them that you want to breed your hens and bring your roo home for a month or so. You have rights too!!! They should be willing to compromise since you were nice enough to remove him in the first place. The bad thing is moving your hens will really stress them and they will stop laying for a while (maybe until they molt) so for having fertile eggs right away it might not be the best idea.

 

[horsejody]

I assume that you are wanting the hens to be with the roo so you can get fertile hatching eggs. What do you plan on doing with the roos that hatch. Are you butchering them or rehoming them?

 

[spoolin]

horsejody that is what i plan on doing with the roos. i just want my hens to lay and have more hens. will leaving the hens for 2-3 weeks be a desent time so they don't get stressed out?

 

[jlmann]

when you move them from your house to your friends they are going to get stressed out and probably stop laying. You could leave them until they start laying and the ones they lay then would be fertile and they would continue to lay fertile eggs for about 3 weeks after the roo does the deed. If you move them back after the rooster mates them and they start laying again they will probably stop laying. For whatever reason chickens don't like to be moved around while they are laying it really disrupts them. Do you have an incubator? Unless you have a broody hen you can place your eggs under you will need an incubator to hatch them.

Please understand I'm not trying to be mean - just trying to help