Husband brought home a rooster :( Couple of question.

[Coralietg]

I had previously told him I really didn't want a rooster, but he prefers to listen to his old country friend, urgh.

I don't know anything about roosters, how will this effect the eggs once the hens are of laying age? Best I could get off my mother is that the eggs will have blood in them

I really don't like the idea of eating fertile eggs.

We now have a "teenage" White Leghorn rooster, a White Leghorn hen that came with him, a long with 5 just feathering hens and 6 young chicks and he's put them all together. Should I expect any trouble?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Quote:
Just stand by and keep an eye on everything. Keep a hatchet handy in case you have to dispatch your husband.

 

[sonew123]

haha just because you have a roo doesnt mean your eggs will have blood I have tons of roos and very rarely have blood in them...

 

[silkydragon]

they will be fine and as for the blood in the egg i think that just happens sometimes whether fertile or not i have had 4 roosters for awhile and have not had a speck of blood in my eggs yet but they are all fertile and if you get a hen to sit on the eggs youll be glad you have youre own fertile eggs to hatch without ordering them chances are if he is not a mean rooster you will fall in love with him rly fast as he will pick up treats and bawk and sit them down till a hen eats them he will also heard youre hens mine will do the courting thing with a wing to the ground and stomp his feet around a half circle of hens keeps them in site so he can protect them

 

[dawg53]

Your new rooster will wake you up in the wee hours of the morning, throw away your alarm clock. Yes,the eggs could be fertilized, but there's really no difference in the looks or taste once you crack them open and put them in the skillet. A few days in the refridgerator will stop the fertilization process anyway. From what I've read if there's a very small blood spot in the egg,it's normal and ok to eat. As far as trouble...like Buff Hooligans states...standby and keep an eye on everything. (You might want to purchase some chicken saddles)

 

[Happy Chooks]

There's no taste difference whatsoever. And the egg will not just start growing a chick in it. It must be incubated either by a hen sitting on them constantly or you put them in an incubator.

I have not had any issues with having fertile eggs: no blood, nothing that my unfertile eggs didn't have.

And yes, you will wake up early with the rooster alarm clock. (I hope your coop isn't next to your house)

 

[gryeyes]

I didn't want a rooster, either, which is why I always bought chicks from the "pullet" bin at the feed store. But I got an "accidental" roo. By the time he was old enough to confirm he was truly a cockerel, I liked him too much to take him back or find another home for him.

I'm glad I kept him. He's gorgeous, he's friendly, he takes care of the girls (always lets them eat first), there are enough hens to keep him from over-mating any one hen (although he does have his favorites). Yes, he crows. I realized I kinda like the sound! The only time it's annoying is when I am in the yard, talking on my cell phone, and Carl crows. He rounds up the ladies at night to make sure they all get into the coop, and he makes the most incredible OTHER sounds than crowing.

If something happened to him, I'd want to get another rooster to replace him. Hopefully, in that event, I'll be able to get one I like as well.

Oh, and there's absolutely no difference in taste between fertilized and unfertilized eggs! You don't even have to refrigerate them, really; they can sit on the kitchen counter for a week without refrigeration. Eggs need to be incubated to develop.

Good luck!

 

[sandy sea]

I was also like you, did not want a rooster. About 2 years ago I bought 8 pullets from the feed store and one turned into a rooster. IAt first I thought it was just a really pretty hen. I posted pictures of him and everyone told me it was a rooster. He is really nice, does not go after me. He is very watchful of his girls. This morning I throw some goodies out to the flock and he picked up a grape and make his cute little noise to call his girls. He danced around with the grape and when the girls circled him he dropped the grape for them. He is very intertaining to watch. The eggs taste the same with a rooster or not.

 

[Break an Egg]

I wish I could keep a rooster, my girls were very happy when I had one. I miss him

 

[speckledhen]

Blood spots in eggs happen when a blood vessel bursts along the reproductive tract. Has absolutely nothing to do with being fertile. I have four roosters and a fifth youngster coming along. Most of our eggs are fertile. No difference you could tell at a glance or in taste.