my rooster has lost his prime

[bigdawg]

i think my rooster has lost his prime. i have 42 eggs in the bator, day 8 and all the eggs look clear, no veins at all. rooster is just under three years old. lf light Brahma. i aslo got a disturbing email from a byc member that i sent eggs to and had only one egg hatch on eggs i shipped her. my last hatch 4 months ago from this flock was 35 out of 42. can a rooster become sterile? i have never had this problem before.

 

[Spangled]

Maybe he's just taking a while to get back into the swing of things after the dark days of winter? Unless you have him under lights with the hens, in which case, that theory is blown out of the water. But the males are also affected by length of daylight.

Or maybe he needs a couple of weeks out on grass? The very old timers used to not try to hatch any eggs until after the flock had been out on grass for three weeks.

I had an older rooster last year that wasn't too vigorous until later in the spring. He was fine after that.

You already checked for bumble foot, right?

I don't know. I'm just tossing out a few ideas.

 

[bigdawg]

well they all free range, do have a light on a timer, he does kinda walk funny, but he always has. he does his bussiness well. just no fertile eggs. i just tossed 42 eggs after day nine. no blood veins in any of them. thanks for the reply.

 

[sourland]

A rooster's fertility may drop off somewhat during the winter, and it is also possible that as he ages a rooster may become sterile. I would suggest checking the rooster's vent for excessive feathering or debris build up - both can interfere with his ability to 'make contact'.