Improving brahma fertility

[SarahIrl]

My lovely Leafy (below) is having a few problems getting his accuracy right. He's very active, but only running at 65-70% fertility. He's fed on high protein pellets, access to fresh grass, mite and lice free, regularly wormed, so he's a fine specimen. How do I get him to do his job better? I love his type and size, and he's a lovely docile thing to have around (I also have a toddler at home who loves her chickens) so I really would love to keep him but may have to pass him on if e doesn't get earning his keep! Ideas please?

Leafy

 

[snowbird]

Easiest way to improve the fertility on the Brahma is trim the male around the vent 1/2" on both sides and below, on hen trim on both sides and above the vent. should help. Don

 

[SarahIrl]

He will be showing this year so I can't trim him, I don't mind doing the girls if I really have to - I was hoping more for tips on diet?

 

[WallTenters]

Your diet sounds good. I read somewhere here on BYC - and it made total sense - the pluck, not trim, as if you trim you have sharp feather ends sticking out like cactus, not very inviting for a session of lovemaking. And I think plucking even just the hens should solve 50% of your problem.

 

[chickened]

Viagra

Seriously there are many factors to consider roosters play fovorites, stress, overweight hens or cocks can cause infertility. Try rotating roosters to see if it is him or the hens.

 

[SarahIrl]

I only have a quad, three hens and my boy, and I don't have room to cope with more. I even have two broodys right now and have nowhere to put them safe to hatch as my juvenile coop/run has a hen and chicks in already. Well, we can keep trying, at least I can get some cicks from him, and if I could hatch them all I might have trouble on my hands!!

 

[Tim63]

If you pluck they will grow back quickly, so you could most likely still show. It seems like fertility is always an issue with my bantam buffs, NEVER with my lights. I don't know what the weather is like in Ireland, but fertility does improve in my Buffs as the weather warms. Maybe warmer weather will help? I do not think diet is the issue.

 

[ultasol]

Trim now, pluck six weeks before show any cut feathers. I do this for silkies.

 

[SarahIrl]

Quote:
Weather is mainly wet. Lots of time spent in the hen house this weekend, but usually they brave most damp days outside. We have had a fabulous and unseasonal April, the light hours are getting better, and the weather has been warm (around 14-16'C on average) all month. It will rise to around 18'C on average for mid-summer, but we don't tend to get weather much warmer than 20-22'C even in the middle of summer. It's lovely to be outside without cooking! Winters are cold, but not a lot of it is spent below freezing. We got bad weather the last two winters with ice and snow for about two months, but still, nothing compared to what some of you guys get in the winter. We have a very 'temperate' climate, with plenty of natural sun hours from mid March to end of October (suitable for egg layers, anyway!)

I think I'll leave them be for now - I got a report back from someone who was running a stest hatch for me and got 10/12 eggs fertile and two chiks from those 10 that were weak and died early on, but the other 8 are doing well, so we'll see how the next setting does. My hens are young, first laying this year, so maybe next year could be better. They are in no way related, so at least I got that much on my side. Will run line breeding next year, but wanted to begin this colour experiment with plain old unrelated birds.

Edit: bad spelling!!!