No fertility. Are my roosters duds?

[racuda]

So far this year I haven't had a single Silkie or Cochin egg be fertile. I've incubated some three times and every couple of days I crack some to check for the bullseye.

In the Cochin pen there is one rooster and six hens. The Silkie pen has two roosters and seven hens. Because of their abundant fluff I trimmed the Silkies two weeks ago to improve fertility but it has made no difference.

The oldest birds are only 18 months old.

What can I do? Provide candle light and soft music?

 

[FireTigeris]

18 months- wait another 4 months? the breeder lines of some of these fluffy butts are slower to mature then hatchery stock.

and remember you cant check an egg that's already incubated reliably for fertility. (not saying you did this but some people do)

I'd wait till you get bulls eyes to begin setting eggs.

Once they are done with pullet eggs, IF they stay in laying mode (and don't go broody) you'll have enough eggs, in the mean time crack the fresh eggs to check and scramble them up cooked and give them back if you don't want to teat those eggs yourself.

 

[racuda]

Quote:
But this same bunch of chickens gave me 100% fertility last summer.

I raised about 2 dozen Silkies and 6 Cochins last year from these very same birds.

I'm in the habit of looking for the bullseye every time I make an omlet and last year each egg was fertile. That is after the Silkies were trimmed. The Cochins are not so fluffy that fertility was a problem last year.

 

[FireTigeris]

ok, that's odd-

my Silkies weren't fertile at 6 months-

Did you change food?

Can you use a son?

 

[racuda]

I've always used Flock Raiser, so no change there. The only males I have are the two 18 mo Silkie roosters, and the one Cochin rooster.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I’ll give you both the link and the comments on fertility from the Florida extension link. It is more for commercial operations but the same principles should apply.

I do not do your breeds, but I would be surprised if your roosters were infertile at 18 months. Cochin can sometimes benefit from vent trimming too, but I really don't have any great ideas.


http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/aa204

1.Sign: Eggs candle clear; broken out eggs show small white-dot germinal disc; no blood. Infertile. Causes:

2.
a.Immature males. Males may need to be photostimulated 2 weeks earlier than females.

b.Males with abnormal sperm; females with abnormal egg (germinal disc). This occurs most often in very young or very old breeders.

c.Too few males, resulting in infrequent mating; too many males, resulting in fighting or interference. Ratios of 1:12 to 1:15 for light breeds and 1:10 to 1:12 for heavy breeds are suggested.

d.Extreme weather conditions.

e.Old breeders. Spiking with young males may help if the problem is with the male.

f.Breeder flock disease. This is often indicated by rough, misshaped, or thin-shelled eggs.

g.Excess body weight, especially in broiler breeder males (>4,800 g, 10.6 lb).

h.Nutritional deficiencies or excesses; severe feed restriction.

i.Feet and leg problems, especially in males of heavy breeds.

j.Certain drugs, pesticides, chemicals, toxins, or mycotoxins.

k.Parasites, such as mites.

l.Inadequate floor space.

m.Decreased mating frequency, or no mating, is commonly seen in many of the conditions listed above; this may often be the direct cause of infertility.

n.Inadequate lighting (intensity or day length).

o.Improper artificial insemination procedures (if artificial insemination is used).

 

[jaketheeggman]

Mabye the roosters just not liking the girls

 

[farmerChef]

You could try taking out the roos for a few days and then putting them back in. They should be eager to satisfy, that's when you can out out the candles