Illinois...

[cavemanrich]

Quick question for all you hatchers here.

I have one rooster who has started getting frisky with the ladies. He is not really virile due to an injury (hip/leg dislocated) -but he tries.

If I wanted to have a broody hen try and hatch some eggs in the future, how do I figure out what hens he has gotten to? Is there a way?

Where there is a will there is a way..... !!!!!!
Get a ROOSTER GOPRO HERO, and strap it onto him. Then review footage daily.

 

[Pixie]

Where there is a will there is a way..... !!!!!!
Get a ROOSTER GOPRO HERO, and strap it onto him. Then review footage daily.

ROFL!!!! I could make $$ with that kind of video!! HA!!!!

 

[Junibutt]

Quick question for all you hatchers here.

I have one rooster who has started getting frisky with the ladies. He is not really virile due to an injury (hip/leg dislocated) -but he tries.

If I wanted to have a broody hen try and hatch some eggs in the future, how do I figure out what hens he has gotten to? Is there a way?

Here is a way to check the egg fertility but it always fools me so I just test incubate and candle after a 4-5 days to see if they are growing or not.

 

[MeepBeep]

Quick question for all you hatchers here.


I have one rooster who has started getting frisky with the ladies.  He is not really virile due to an injury (hip/leg dislocated) -but he tries.


If I wanted to have a broody hen try and hatch some eggs in the future, how do I figure out what hens he has gotten to?  Is there a way?

If you want a second opinion on candling or checking a cracked open egg for fertility let me know, I'll swing over...

Beyond that let the bird go broody and then simply candle the eggs under her after about 5-7 days and remove the infertile ones... Chances are good other hens will 'sneak' an egg or two of their own under the broody bird when she is off the nest unless she is isolated so you have a good chance of getting some fertile ones under her even if the rooster never got around to her...

My birds are still on egg strike, can't figure out what their issue is as of late it's like the egg switch just randomly flipped off and got stuck... Hoping this weeks warm up flips it back on...

 

[NotAFarm]

Quick question for all you hatchers here.

I have one rooster who has started getting frisky with the ladies. He is not really virile due to an injury (hip/leg dislocated) -but he tries.

If I wanted to have a broody hen try and hatch some eggs in the future, how do I figure out what hens he has gotten to? Is there a way?

If you see him "with" a certain hen, put her in a place by herself so you can collect her eggs. Do you have a way to isolate him with the hen(s) you'd like eggs from? You would have a better chance of a fertile egg if he only had one or two hens with him.

 

[Faraday40]

Quick question for all you hatchers here.

I have one rooster who has started getting frisky with the ladies. He is not really virile due to an injury (hip/leg dislocated) -but he tries.

If I wanted to have a broody hen try and hatch some eggs in the future, how do I figure out what hens he has gotten to? Is there a way?

Every time you crack open one of your eggs, take a quick look at the egg spot. If you're seeing "bull's eyes" in some, then he's getting the job done. His leg may slow him down, but not much will stop a rooster from mating. Even when we got rid of our roo last spring, we got fertile eggs for about 2 weeks. He does not need to mate each hen daily..... but of course he may think he does!

My pic is not the best, but perhaps it will help. (Click to enlarge)


BTW- My favorite idea is the rooster cam. It really made me laugh.

If fertility is low there are a few things you could try like trimming near the vent area or giving him fewer females to work with. If all else fails, then ask around for local fertile eggs. They will have a better hatch rate than ordering online.

 

[ChicagoClucker]

@Pixie I agree with @NotAFarm, and try and put him separate place with a hen or two. Then either look for the bulls eye when cracking or test the eggs in the incubator after a week or so. If they are fertile, and your hen is broody, slip them under her.

@cavemanrich , you crack me up!

 

[Pixie]

Thanks everyone! I have only ever ordered chicks through the mail and my youngest is bugging me about hatching our own -a lot. After I saw the friskyness today I started thinking about it more. We sell almost all our eggs and was not sure if letting them sit under a broody would make for a super stinky outcome!

I am still not sure I want more baby chicks still, but was curious how to go about it all.

Thank you!!!

 

[MeeMa Brown]

Any shows this SPRING?

 

[NotAFarm]

Any shows this SPRING?

http://www.poultryshowcentral.com/Illinois.html

If you use this link, on the left menu is a "Poultry Shows" tab. Clicking it will let you search for shows by state, so you can look for shows in WI, IA or IN or where ever you might be going on vacation

not that I would plan a vacation near a poultry show or anything

...same for swaps...there is a tab...you can search by state