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Thank you @rancher hicks. Makes a bit more sense now. All my girls just hit 1 and all still lay like champs. However I did finally get an incubator so I'm "cooking " 40 eggs right now. This hatch is a bit from all the girls as they are all still laying good. I do want to be prepared for winter incase the older ones decide to take a break. We can't be egg less for a month, the kids would start a riot!! Lol, they love eggs. I won't give up on them though, they are my first flock so they are a bit special.
 
Chicken girl 15 said:
Thank you @rancher hicks . Makes a bit more sense now. All my girls just hit 1 and all still lay like champs. However I did finally get an incubator so I'm "cooking " 40 eggs right now. This hatch is a bit from all the girls as they are all still laying good. I do want to be prepared for winter incase the older ones decide to take a break. We can't be egg less for a month, the kids would start a riot!! Lol, they love eggs. I won't give up on them though, they are my first flock so they are a bit special.
Click to expand...

My thinking is to keep some older and some newbies. This way the newer ones will generally keep you in some eggs. High protein feed keeps them from molting or at least not molting for a long time.

This is why I hatch my own. I get folks wanting hens or pullets but I can't afford to raise hens for others and then sell them for a song. However right now I have four chicks I'm giving away, two I'm fairly sure are pullets. My thing is that they have to take the roosters too.

Some folks eat their birds so that's fine with me. I don't expect there is a rooster retirement home.

So I may have four or five new pullets being added to the coop. I hatch more than I want so there are many to choose from. I also expect some hens to go broody and that means even more chicks.

I wish you well,

Rancher
 
rancher hicks said:
My thinking is to keep some older and some newbies.  This way the newer ones will generally keep you in some eggs. High protein feed keeps them from molting or at least not molting for a long time. 

This is why I hatch my own. I get folks wanting hens or pullets but I can't afford to raise hens for others and then sell them for a song. However right now I have four chicks I'm giving away, two I'm fairly sure are pullets. My thing is that they have to take the roosters too. 

Some folks eat their birds so that's fine with me. I don't expect there is a rooster retirement home. 

So I may have four or five new pullets being added to the coop.  I hatch more than I want so there are many to choose from. I also expect some hens to go broody and that means even more chicks. 

I wish you well, 

Rancher
Click to expand...

Great reading your posts!
My wife and i are new to the chicken thing. We have 4 laying hens now, 11 feathered out pullets coming out to the Koop on the 28th of this month, that same day we are picking up 2 other laying hens!
We are considering a rooster soon too, and hopefully be able to raise our own chicks as you two are doing. We hope at least one of our hens will be broody.
Mike
 
Chicken girl 15 said:
Ok I have a mating question. How old before a cockerel starts fertilizing not just mounting? I'm just curious if some of my chicks to be could be Bob's or is they are all spitz babies.
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Gritsar on here says 8 months old.

You can check for fertility before setting eggs. I doubt a rooster is mounting a hen and wasting his time.

I had a cousin Bob once and he had kids all over the place so if your rooster is like cousin they may ALL be Bobs?
lau.gif


One point to note that roosters have a part in an egg being healthy too. You can't blame it all on the hen, your incubating skills etc. etc. when they don't hatch well.
hmm.png


I had an aunt and uncle and ALL their kids were nuts!
lau.gif
When he was told it might be in his genes he switched from Wranglers to Levies.
lau.gif


Seriously if Bob is a problem perhaps you can lock him up by himself for a week or two.
 
Chicken girl 15 said:
Ok I have a mating question. How old before a cockerel starts fertilizing not just mounting?
how old is Bob ?
Click to expand...

This is my personal opinion ..if a Rooster is Mounting he is probably fertilizing ...
if the hormones tell them to mount ...and mate ....to me that indicates ...they are fertile ..
Rooster pipes dont take as long to mature as hen pipes ..
Your eggs are fertilized ? it is probably a mix of the 2 roosters you have .
sperm stays in the hen for about 3 weeks ...

Scotty took on Papa Lucky yesterday ...the first time Ive seen this ..He took the fight to him ...
It looked like a Draw to me ...however after.. Lucky chased Scotty around ..so I guess he won the contest ..
Lucky - is heavier & shorter


Scotty is taller and Lighter
 
Hey so who knows of any swaps coming up in the hudson valley area besides the chickenstock. looking to attend all i can this year
 
Gramma Chick said:
This is my personal opinion ..if a Rooster is Mounting he is probably fertilizing ... if the hormones tell them to mount ...and mate ....to me that indicates ...they are fertile .. Rooster pipes dont take as long to mature as hen pipes .. Your eggs are fertilized ? it is probably a mix of the 2 roosters you have . sperm stays in the hen for about 3 weeks ... Scotty took on Papa Lucky yesterday ...the first time Ive seen this ..He took the fight to him ... It looked like a Draw to me ...however after.. Lucky chased Scotty around ..so I guess he won the contest .. Lucky - is heavier & shorter Scotty is taller and Lighter
Click to expand...
Bob is around 10 months. Sweet I might end up with some Bob babies.
 

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