Just started laying! NEED ADVISE PLEASE!!!

[ChickensAreSweet]

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Yes you have no worries eating fertilized eggs unless they sit outside in 100 degree heat for days, etc. They will not start developing in the winter cold outside or in the fridge unless a hen is setting on them.

 

[magoochie]

Thanks for all your help. I didnt know if the eggs were ok to eat if they had potentially been fertilized and we didnt get to them the day we pulled them.

But it sounds like it should be ok if we refridgerate them and pull them daily.

The first time I found eggs there were 6 of them in there. So that might have been her clutch? And she was sitting on them all. She is not mean, so i dont know if she is broody or not. But those first eggs were the ones that has spots in them.

 

[magoochie]

Also, this probably is another dumb question, but I'm learning so bear with me..... Why do you only want 1 rooster to 10 hens?

I have always heard that, but dont know why. My roosters dont fight, and we love listening to them. (We only have 1 full time neighbor, the others are seasonal)
They aren't mean to us or my nephew either. Is it just a territory thing when they get older?

We wanted to have a few around for this spring/summer when we started trying to hatch our own. So we could make our own barnyard blend of chickens.

 

[henney penny]

One rooster for ten hens to make sure each hen will be fertilized and its not so hard on the hens,if you have more roosters then they will be breeding the hens and tearing of back and head feathers and they need all their feathers this time of year.LOL.If your hens look good then I would not worry about it.

 

[magoochie]

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The hens look fine. No missing feathers or heads! they are all in good shape from what I can tell. 3 of the roosters arent as mature as the other two though.

This is one of them that we want to use when we start trying to hatch our own. Isnt he pretty?

 

[henney penny]

How do you chickens like the snow?I`m here in northern Maine and we are having a blizzard today.Mine will not go out unless I put straw down for them to walk on.I have roosters in with my girls and I collect the eggs twice a day and refridgerate them,I sell mine and have never had any complaints.

 

[ranchhand]

He's very handsome! Looks like frostbite on his comb, though.

But.... your chickens are about 6 months old, just beginning to mature. Notice the rooster doesn't have spurs yet?

Once they mature you have a darn good chance that the roosters will begin to fight unless you make a separate bachelor pad for them. And also, once they get serious about breeding the hens will suffer for it. I have had some roosters be real sweethearts until about 9-10 months, then they turned on me, DH and everyone else, because they were doing their job of protecting their flock. Some stay nice, most don't.

 

[magoochie]

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They only like the snow if we snowblow around them so they can still get to some of the dirt. Otherwise they huddle up.

 

[mychookschick]

Hello!

I am excited to hear that I'm not the only one getting first time layers! LOL Congrats and, like everyone else said, don't worry about your new eggs! Hope you enjoy your birds and learn a lot from them! I know I did!

 

[magoochie]

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Actually his comb has always been different colors, so I dont know if its frostbite or not. I do have one Australorp that i think might have frostbite though he usually has a bright red comb, and it is discolored.

I have no problem butchering a rooster if it gets mean. So if they turn on me, its the frying pan for them!