Newbie question here

[Chip3214]

Yes, but you mainly only do that in spring

 

[Kessel23]

You can eat fertile eggs, I would not suggest eating developing eggs though... All your eggs should be fertile depending on the number of hens you have. Fertile eggs are almost the same as non fertile eggs. Eggs should be fertile year round and ready to incubate, if you plan on setting some eggs just make sure not to wash them.

 

[Hull18]

Well, I suggest that you check the laws in your area to see if roosters are allowed. Roosters provide a lot of benefits to the flock, they look out for the hens, they help the hens find nesting spots, they help the hens find food, and they keep the flock together. The rooster is the leader and it is always beneficial to have one in your flock if you can. How many hens do you have for him? Roosters can be aggressive, what is his breed? Also, they crow which could annoy you and your neighbors.

I live in the country so no problems there . I have 27 hens unless another turns out to be a roosterand he is a barnevelder

 

[Kessel23]

Ok, Barnevelders are usually very friendly roosters, I don't think you will have any problems with aggression. 27 hens is definitely enough hens for him, I do not think he will be able to fertilize all the eggs so if you plan to set some eggs in the future then you should split him off with 10 or so hens into a small breeding flock. Not all roosters are aggressive towards children, breeds like the Barnevelders are usually an all round friendly bird. None of my roosters attack small kids.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Keep in mind if you hatch the eggs you'll probably get even more males. Do you have a plan of what to do with those?

 

[Lazy Farmer]

One in 10 rooster will be nice.

sorry.. wrong. I just sold over 45 roos. They all feared me. And I'm a nice person. Sorry I had to object to your non fact. It is all about the environment they are raised in and letting bad habit being allowed to escalate.
I have 12 breeders and can pick them up and carry then and they purr like a big baby owl. They know who the alpha is on my farm.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Your rooster will also protect your hens from most small predators. Mine ran off hawks and possums and also spiked rats, who were eating the hens food and then fed them to his hens. We only had him 4 years, we were not supposed to have him at all. But he was a great asset to our flock while we had him.

 

[Hull18]

Thanks for all I'm going to keep him but I don't plan on hatching anytime soon. We will figure things out as we go.

 

[rebrascora]

So Since I'm just wanting the eggs I may have to candle each egg to make sure I don't have fertilized eggs however I could hatch the fertilzed eggs that I come across. Am I right>

Candling eggs will not tell you if they are fertile or not unless they have been incubated for several days. Eggs will not start to develop into chicks unless they are incubated, either by a broody hen or in an incubator. If you do not have a hen that is broody then there is no concern that your eggs will start to develop.

 

[Mrs. K]

If the little child in your picture lives with you, I would strongly recommend getting rid of the rooster, especially if this is your first experience with chickens. A rooster that does become aggressive, will attack children first. People with little chicken experience often do not recognize the signs of aggression, and will think the attack comes out of no where. The thing is, the rooster will attack at about the height of a child's face. Roosters have ruined the whole chicken experience for a lot of people.

I see too, that you have him on your lap. You are in the submissive position in the picture. Chickens are not like puppies and kittens, where as if you are nice and friendly to them, they are to you. Chicken equate fear with respect. Any two chickens, one is not afraid and the other one is lower on the pecking order, and will give way. Rooster are darling chicks, friendly and outgoing, the first to approach you. People often mistake that for liking you, but it is not. They are not afraid of you, they are above you on the pecking order. As these birds do not fear humans, they will expect you to submit to him. When he comes into his hormones, that lack of fear can cause him to attack.

It sounds like you are new to this, so I assume that these are all flock mates, meaning that they are the same age. Rooster chicks grow up faster than the pullets, are sexually mature faster than the pullets. The size difference and hormones will often cause them to bully the hens, sometimes giving them no rest.

Roosters are a crap shoot, but some do turn out nice. Often times they are raised in a multi-generational flock with lots of space. As the rooster grows up, he is not the biggest bird in the group, and the older hens and roosters are more dominant and thump some manners into him.

I would give this advice, have an only hen flock this year. Your original plan was for eggs. Stick to it. Get some experience. Then next year ask around, local poultry clubs, county extensions, or the feed store. People often times have a really nice extra rooster, so nice, he did not get culled, that is the one you want.

You and your children will have a wonderful experience with chickens. There are many aspects to this hobby, take it step by step.

Mrs K