Low fertility in Brahmas

[Khattak]

Hello..
I have 2 sets of chicken, one is brahma and the other is game birds.. They both are one year old with 2 & 4 hens and one roo respectively.

The issue I'm having is that I'm getting 90-95% hatch rate in game birds but fertility ratio in brahma is just 25-30%.

Both sets live in same condition, same feed etc... I had cut the vent feathers in brahma but no use..

Help!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Games are more vigorous breeders than Brahma. Have you observed the Brahma to see if he's mating all hens? Sometimes a rooster will favor one hen, and ignore the rest. Just some ideas.

 

[Khattak]

Games are more vigorous breeders than Brahma. Have you observed the Brahma to see if he's mating all hens? Sometimes a rooster will favor one hen, and ignore the rest. Just some ideas.

Actually I only have 2 hens and a roo..

 

[dougieee]

Im curious, what size difference is there between the sexes?
I only ask becuase i have buff brahmas and had a similar problem, after observing them though i soon learned that the hens absolutely hated being trodden by him, he was so big he literally drove them into the mud and was actually hurting them, so much so that they started avoiding his attentions.
I gave up and now ive got a dozen brahma araucana hybrids on lockdown in the incubator.

 

[Mosey2003]

Did you trim around the vents of them all or just the hens? I'd try trimming the rooster too.

 

[Khattak]

Did you trim around the vents of them all or just the hens? I'd try trimming the rooster too.

I did trim both...

 

[Khattak]

Im curious, what size difference is there between the sexes?
I only ask becuase i have buff brahmas and had a similar problem, after observing them though i soon learned that the hens absolutely hated being trodden by him, he was so big he literally drove them into the mud and was actually hurting them, so much so that they started avoiding his attentions.
I gave up and now ive got a dozen brahma araucana hybrids on lockdown in the incubator.

Actually I have seen him do the cross with no issue.. But I don't know y the eggs are mostly infertile?

 

[dougieee]

Actually I have seen him do the cross with no issue.. But I don't know y the eggs are mostly infertile?

Brahmas are very slow to mature, they can take up to two years, where abouts are you based? Fertility normally increases with large birds in the spring, orpingtons are a similar size and my buff orpingtons used to have low fertility during the winter months.