I got my very first egg yesterday(a very large double yolker, btw...) from who I am pretty sure is one of my GLS's age 18-19 weeks. Last night I noticed that one of my younger roos, 11 weeks...um how to put this delicately.... took a very strong sudden ...interest in her. Isn't that kind of young? He has been crowing since he was 6 or 7 weeks old and has a huge red comb and wattles though. He is a whiteleghorn/?? mix. I was hoping to not have to ship my little boys off to freezer camp just yet, and do not have another coop. I do not want babies or rooster goo in my eggs. I know... you dont see it... but I would know it was there and it grosses me out.
Rooster goo?????? Are you serious? LOL! Did you know that you can't tell the difference between a fertilized egg and a non fertilized egg unless you decide to ignore it? They look and taste exactly the same. I have had fertilized eggs for about a year now and there is no difference. I have never found an embryo because I collect my eggs every single day. I even sell my eggs to customers and have never gotten a complaint. If anything, it is good for your hens system to start mating at this age. When roosters start "jumping" on the hens it matures the hens systems and you get eggs quicker. Hens that aren't jumped on sometimes don't start laying until 30-36 weeks. The only thing I would advise if you are going to keep your rooster, is to get chicken saddles for your girls so their backs don't get torn up from over breeding.
