Quick breeding question

[ninny]

I am going to try and get some chicks from my free range flock this year. Im have a rabbit cage im going to put them in. My questions are: How long do i leave the roo with the hen? Does the hen have to be broody before i put the roo in? How long till she lays fertile eggs? Do i just leave her in there till she goes broody? If she doesn't go broody in a week or so bring the roo back? Do i leave the eggs in once she goes broody or all eggs after the roo is gone? This is kinda new purposely breeding them.

What does white ear lobes on a roo mean? I know on hens it mean they lay white eggs.

Thank you!

 

[Henk69]

There is no relation between white ears and white eggs strictly.

Will let others answer the rest...

 

[SilkiesAndSuch]

Leave the rooster with the hen for at least a week if he hasn't been around her before you start collecting eggs, even longer if possible. The hen does not have to be broody and it is preferable if she isn't. After the rooster has been with her for at least a week, the eggs should most likely be fertile, but if you can wait fourteen days, it is better. Just leave her in the cage until she goes broody and after a week, I guess you could put the rooster back in with her for a little while if there isn't room to keep him with her all the time. You can keep the eggs in the nest if the weather doesn't get too hot or cold where you are. Or, you can collect the eggs daily and put some sort of decoy on the nest, such as fake eggs, eggs from the store, or golf balls. White ear lobes on the rooster mean the same thing as white earlobes on the hen, as that the chicks from the rooster might inherit his earlobes/egg color. However, he won't influence the color of the eggs of the hen he is mated with. Good luck

 

[SilkiesAndSuch]

And not all white earlobed birds lay white eggs and not all red earlobed birds lay brown eggs.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How long do i leave the roo with the hen?
The eggs should be fertile three days after a mating. They will probably stay fertile about 2 weeks after that mating. How long it takes to achieve a mating depends on the personality of the hen and the rooster and how many hens there are in the available flock.

Does the hen have to be broody before i put the roo in?
A broody hen will not lay eggs. Putting a roo in with a broody hen willnot help at all.

Do i just leave her in there till she goes broody? If she doesn't go broody in a week or so bring the roo back?
Whether a hen goes broody or not has nothing to do with whether a rooster is present. Hens will or will not go broody according to their hormones. The rooster doesnto effect those hormones.

Do i leave the eggs in once she goes broody or all eggs after the roo is gone? This is kinda new purposely breeding them.
I think you are confusing a laying hen with a broody hen. They are totally different things. Once the hen goes broody, put all the eggs you want her to hatch at the same time. Depending on your set-up, you may be able to leave the rooster in with a broody hen but it is probably best, if your space is a bit restricted, to remiove the rooster. He will not help the situation.

 

[SilkiesAndSuch]

Leave the rooster with the hen for at least a week if he hasn't been around her before you start collecting eggs, even longer if possible. The hen does not have to be broody and it is preferable if she isn't. After the rooster has been with her for at least a week, the eggs should most likely be fertile, but if you can wait fourteen days, it is better.

Oh, and the week to fourteen days thing is just if you want to guarantee that the eggs are from the rooster that you put with the hen and not from another rooster. Disregard what I said if the hen hasn't been around another rooster or if you don't have another one

 

[ninny]

ok so put them in the cage leave him for a least a week when she goes broody leave her till the eggs hatch. Right? I dont care if the eggs are from a anothor roo as its just for more layers for my flock. How long till she goes broody and do i just leave all the eggs after three days in with her. I want her to hatch them.

 

[Ryu]

There's no guarantee that a hen will go broody at any given time. It just depends on the hen and if she's in the mood or not.

 

[sourland]

What breeds are in your free range flock? Not all breeds go broody. Why not allow the rooster to free range with your hens? If you would do so, all eggs have the potential to be fertile. Exposure to the rooster does not cause hens to go broody. They will go broody (if of a broody breed) in their own sweet time. Once a hen goes broody, give her as many eggs as she can cover, and 21 days later count your chicks.

 

[ninny]

RIRs and a buff oprington. I lost my RIR roo so id looking at my buff roo & my buff hen. Or i have a white rock roo as well. I run everybody together but never get chicks. Oh i have two leg horns but i know they wont go broody. I'd really like to stop haveing to buy chicks. I dont care if thier mixed as long as they lay.