how old does a ROOSTER have to be to fertalize? NOT A HEN!!!!!

[Flock Runner]

a couple of months ago my oldest chicken died(from old age

). i only had one chicken left so i got 7 more chicks from my local feed store. i had a 95% garentee that i would get all hens but i ended up with 2 roosters. i like them more than i thought i would and i don't want to put them by themselves. the only problem is tiger(my last chicken before the chicks) is still laying eggs. i know hens have to be 14 months to start laying but how old do roosters have to be to fertalize

? they're about 8 months rite now. i have seen one of them trying to breed tiger but all her eggs are unfertalized. when should i stop collecting them and let them hatch? i don't want to end up eating a baby!

 

[LolaIsAChicken]

My roosters starting breeding at about 17 weeks and the hens about 18 to 20 weeks to lay. I find the roosters are faster in reaching maturity.

 

[gritsar]

If the cockerel/roo is 8 months old, chances are he's fertile. Crack an egg open and check.

You don't have to worry about eating a baby. An egg has to be brooded by a hen or incubated in an incubator for a couple of days before development begins.

ETA: If I had a hen that waited till she was 14 months ol to start laying, I'd be seriously concerned about her. Maybe you mean 14 weeks? 16 to 18 weeks is average.

 

[LolaIsAChicken]

I am certain that her eggs are totally fertilized. You save some at room temperature then throw them in an incubator. You will be very surprised that they are fertile! If he is mounting her they are breeding.

 

[nwfl]

why not put them in seperate pen? all of my keeper cockerals and breeding roosters are seperated in their own quarters and are content.

 

[Flock Runner]

the reason i don't want to separate them is because they have already esatblished a pecking order and i don't want to throw everything out of wack by taking out the dominant birds.

 

[Flock Runner]

i just cracked one but it looks completely normal. except there was a little bit of white cloudy stuff sticking to the side of the yolk. would that be sperm

? also, ITS ALMOST WINTER AROUND HERE! and my hen doesn't sit on her eggs. she just lays them and leaves. how long can they survive without heat? also all i have is a heat lamp not an incubator. how would i set it up to warm the eggs? if this is successful but they hatch in the middle of winter how long should i keep them iside for?

 

[goldies99]

you dont ever have to hatch eggs if you dont want too....you can still eat them...if you collect them every day and put them in the fridge, you wont have a problem!...and you wont be eatting a baby!

 

[SassyKat6181]

if you collect the eggs daily and put them in the refridgerator, they will not start to develop.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
That would be the chalazae. The chalazae are two spiral bands of tissue that suspend the yolk in the center of the white (the albumen). You'll see that in fresh eggs, whether fertilized or not.

Here are pics that show the difference between a fertile egg and a non-fertile egg:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=16008