OMG They are breeding!

[SweetLilRachy00]

Umm...so my Roo has been grabbing a hold of the hens by the neck. They yell of course and I come running. Well, he lets them go. BUT I saw him on top of a hen yesterday (4 kids were the witnesses as well!) and they were mating. Great. So then I continue to watch the Roo wander around and he grabs another at the neck and spins himself around and gets ontop of her. She didn't like it. But the first time, that hen didn't mind.

Ok, so here's the question:

Does this means (the willing hens) that they are ready to lay eggs, if they allow him the mount her? (is mount the proper word)

And do the eggs ALWAYS get fertilized by him being with her once?

I really need to sepearte them. I don't really want a ton of chicks. We can't do it this weekend. Any quick fixes? I let my birds Free Range during the day. How would I go about letting them all out by him? LOL Oh he'd just love that!

help!

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

actually no. silkies mount my one girl all the time and she has not laid on egg yet.


Do you know how old they are and what breed?

 

[arlee453]

Why not just leave the roo with the hens?? If you don't want babies, just eat the eggs - they taste the same whether fertile or not.

As long as your roo/hen ratio is OK - ie you have more than 5-8 hens for your roo - it should be OK unless he picks a 'favorite'.

You will have one more unhappy roo if he can't get to the ladies...

 

[pattycake]

I've read that you shouldn't let your rooster mate while you're around, because YOU are supposed to be top rooster and they are YOUR hens. If he thinks he is top rooster, then he might get aggressive toward you. I try to bat my rooster away when he does it in front of me, but he's very persistant.

If your rooster and your hens are the same age, then I'd expect eggs pretty soon. I know my rooster started that business a couple weeks before my hens laid.

 

[silkiechicken]

Let him mate all he wants when you aren't looking. Just don't incubate eggs.

 

[ksacres]

I read that same post on not letting your rooster mate in front of you, but personally, I let them do their thing and don't interfere. I have never been attacked by ANY of my roosters, and if I were to be attacked, that rooster wouldn't stay.

I have silkies and other bantams now, but have had many different standards in the past and I just can't condone keeping a rooster that would have been aggressive if you hadn't batted him around every time he was just being a chicken.

I have bunnies too, and same with them, I just can't see continuing an aggressive line. My chickens give me space and I do the same for them. I have a couple hens that are lap chickens and come running for their treats, the others just do their own thing.

Remember, there's very little that is more annoying than a "frustrated" male

 

[skeeter9]

I agree. There's no need to separate them if you collect the eggs and eat them. The only way you'll end up with chicks is if you let one of your hens sit on fertile eggs for 3 weeks, or you incubate them artificially. Hens and roos are happier when they are together as nature intended.

Lori

 

[hatchcrazzzy]

i let my rir rooster do his thing in front of me.the only time he gets mean is if you mess with his hens.i want a rooster that will defend my hens . he has never really tried to spur me though.he just struts and makes a racketwhen i grab one of the hens.he is just aggressive enough

 

[SweetLilRachy00]

"There's no need to separate them if you collect the eggs and eat them. The only way you'll end up with chicks is if you let one of your hens sit on fertile eggs for 3 weeks, or you incubate them artificially."

So what you're saying then is that it's not fertilized for 3 weeks???? I mean, if it's fertilized, it's fertilized. If it's not, it's not. How is it ok to eat it before 3 weeks? I just don't get it?

I don't eat eggs anyways (3 others in my house do though), but I don't think I could cook and serve eggs knowing that it's a possibility that is "might" be fertilized.

When a hen lays an egg. Do they only stay on it if it's fertilized, or do they always stay on them, even if they are not fertilized.

So much to learn!!!!

 

[ksacres]

Quote:
A fertilized egg, when cracked BEFORE being incubated, looks exactly the same as a non fertile egg. They taste the same, cook the same, look the same, everything. A chick won't grow in a fertile egg unless it is incubated. Whether or not the egg is fertile has nothing to do with a hen deciding to sit on it. A hen will go broody when her body tells her to. Some breeds do not ever go broody, some breeds go broody to the point of exasperation. We, along with many others on this board, eat fertile eggs with no issues at all.