RIR fertility

[Driley62]

Hello all,

Got a RIR rooster in my flock and he's been great. I had a hen go broody 3 times this year. First time every egg I let her have (4) hatched. Second time she abandoned the nest because I screwed up on moving her. This time I gave her 12, and of the 12 she's down to 3....the rest rotted and hatch day should be any day now. She had 4 earlier but one cracked from the rot.

What im posting about is if anyone knows if RIR roos have a short fertility timeline? Because he just turned a year not too long ago. I'd think in that case he would still be in his prime!

Not a deal breaker if it's the case, but at the same time disheartening that he can't push the flock forward genetics wise anymore. Hopefully my young cockerel I accidently got is a fertile dude if this is the case.

Anyone know anything about this?

I gave my neighbor a brother of his for his flock and he wasn't fertile at all!

 

[NatJ]

What im posting about is if anyone knows if RIR roos have a short fertility timeline? Because he just turned a year not too long ago. I'd think in that case he would still be in his prime!

I would not expect problems with a Rhode Island Red rooster of that age, although of course there can always be individual birds that have problems. But I do not think it's a common feature of the breed.

I have read that high heat can make roosters less fertile, so this might be a seasonal thing, rather than age-related. You might get better results in the fall or next spring, when the weather is cooler.

 

[Driley62]

I would not expect problems with a Rhode Island Red rooster of that age, although of course there can always be individual birds that have problems. But I do not think it's a common feature of the breed.

I have read that high heat can make roosters less fertile, so this might be a seasonal thing, rather than age-related. You might get better results in the fall or next spring, when the weather is cooler.

I didnt expect that either and assumed the "heat wave" we had...I didn't find it to be a true heat wave for our area. Warm yes, hot at times yes, but not a heat wave. The hen had a 100% hatch rate in the spring but all 12 this time rotted. I'm just hoping he didn't go steril randomly.

 

[NatJ]

I didnt expect that either and assumed the "heat wave" we had...I didn't find it to be a true heat wave for our area. Warm yes, hot at times yes, but not a heat wave. The hen had a 100% hatch rate in the spring but all 12 this time rotted. I'm just hoping he didn't go steril randomly.

Depending on how hot it got, the heat could have killed the eggs directly, rather than making the rooster infertile

 

[Driley62]

Depending on how hot it got, the heat could have killed the eggs directly, rather than making the rooster infertile

Hottest it got was 90 with like a 60% humidity. Also our coop is under heavy maple tree canopy cover which brings the temp down I'd dare say close to 10 degrees versus in the direct sun.

 

[NatJ]

Hottest it got was 90 with like a 60% humidity. Also our coop is under heavy maple tree canopy cover which brings the temp down I'd dare say close to 10 degrees versus in the direct sun.

I don't know if that would affect the rooster, but I agree that shouldn't have hurt the developing eggs in the nest.

Do you know if the rooster has favorite hens and ignores other ones? If he doesn't feel like mating very often, and if you set eggs from a hen he was ignoring, that would be another explanation.

Or, as you suspect, he may just be infertile-- which may go away as the weather gets cooler, or it may not, but there's probably nothing you can do except wait and hope, or give up and butcher him. (If you do butcher him, have a look at his testicles. They should be impressively big and easy to find, like giant white beans up inside his back. If they aren't, then you've found the source of the problem. But that's not something you can easily check while he's alive.)

 

[Driley62]

I don't know if that would affect the rooster, but I agree that shouldn't have hurt the developing eggs in the nest.

Do you know if the rooster has favorite hens and ignores other ones? If he doesn't feel like mating very often, and if you set eggs from a hen he was ignoring, that would be another explanation.

Or, as you suspect, he may just be infertile-- which may go away as the weather gets cooler, or it may not, but there's probably nothing you can do except wait and hope, or give up and butcher him. (If you do butcher him, have a look at his testicles. They should be impressively big and easy to find, like giant white beans up inside his back. If they aren't, then you've found the source of the problem. But that's not something you can easily check while he's alive.)

He doesn't ignore any of the girls his age lmao. He spreads his attention very evenly amongst the 11 hens. I have however noticed he hasn't acted like a horny teenager like he has back in the spring. He still mates but he's not as persistent anymore.

 

[NatJ]

He still mates but he's not as persistent anymore.

Under normal circumstances, a hen should lay fertile eggs if he mates with her at least once a week. It sounds like he's probably managing that much.

 

[Driley62]

Under normal circumstances, a hen should lay fertile eggs if he mates with her at least once a week. It sounds like he's probably managing that much.

I haven't seen him mount recently but I've also been busy and unable to just sit and watch them all. But I'd be comfortable to say he's been doing that much.

Could the stress of additions to the flock be a cause? They're not of laying age yet but the idea of newcomers cause a short stint of infertility?

 

[NatJ]

Could the stress of additions to the flock be a cause? They're not of laying age yet but the idea of newcomers cause a short stint of infertility?

I wouldn't expect it, but maybe. Stress can do funny things (although if the newcomers are all female, I would expect the rooster to be the one affected least.)