My rooster is only mating one hen

[inquisitivebird]

I have 5 orpington hens and a lavender orpinton rooster. They are all around the same age. The hens are 2 blacks, 2 lavenders and 1 blue. I've been checking the fertility of my eggs when I get 5 eggs in one day by putting the 5 in the incubator and candling after a week. After doing this twice in the last month, only one of the eggs is being fertilised. I have the one egg from the first test about to hatch in the next few days. I will be able to narrow down which hen it is depending on the feather colour. Should I remove the hen he's mating to encourage him to try it with the others? The rooster and 3 of the hens are around 10 months old. 2 hens are around 7 months old. I really want to sell the eggs to people wanting to hatch them, but don't want to do so unless they are fertile... I do have a black Orpington rooster that is in a different pen, but wanted to breed lavenders.

 

[sourland]

I'd remove the hen producing fertile eggs and return her to the flock once a week to maintain her fertility. Is there any possibility that the other hens are so heavily feathered that he can't make 'contact' when breeding them?

 

[3KillerBs]

Are there any dirty footprints or damaged feathers on the other girls' backs to indicate that the rooster is at least trying?

 

[inquisitivebird]

I'd remove the hen producing fertile eggs and return her to the flock once a week to maintain her fertility. Is there any possibility that the other hens are so heavily feathered that he can't make 'contact' when breeding them?

I will check them tonight. I have read of trimming them. Do you know the beat method for doing this?

 

[inquisitivebird]

Are there any dirty footprints or damaged feathers on the other girls' backs to indicate that the rooster is at least trying?

They all seem pretty clean... Except several have dirty bum feathers.

 

[sourland]

I will check them tonight. I have read of trimming them. Do you know the beat method for doing this?

You can actually pluck the feathers around both the rooster's and hen's vents - just enough to help him get the job done.

 

[3KillerBs]

They all seem pretty clean... Except several have dirty bum feathers.

It's easier on my white hens and easier in wet weather, but I can use dirty rooster footprints to tell who is being mated.

 

[inquisitivebird]

It's easier on my white hens and easier in wet weather, but I can use dirty rooster footprints to tell who is being mated.

I've tried to look this morning and I think I might see some footprints but it's that that clear. It's been very muddy here.