Roo stud service...is there such a thing?

[Norman]

Like dogs or horses? THis is more of a curiosity question, b/c i dont want chickies. I was just wondering, do ppl do this, say if they dont want to own a rooster, but want their hens bred?

 

[newchickenfamily]

I've wondered the same thing myself.... It would be great to have a rooster visit for a short time, then go home. You could probably put and ad on Craigslist or something, looking for a loaner??

 

[speckledhen]

Cant really do that without endangering the health of your girls. When you acquire a new bird, you have to quarantine them for over a month to be reasonably sure it doesn't have anything contagious. Cant do that if you stud out a rooster. I wouldn't risk it.

 

[Aneesa's Muse]

I agree with speckled hen ..but I've often wondered about the idea, only in reverse ...as I have 3 roos that need some appropriately sized/bred womenzzz

 

[EweSheep]

I do use stud services on my girls because I live in the city limits and the only time I have A roo is in the dead of winter until early spring.

I quarantine the roo for a month away from my girls OR my friend would quarantine the roo in a different barn away from her flock into the horse barn which his only companions are horses. He would be caged so he does not try to go back into the barn where the flock resides. Works well for me. When he gets here, he will be in a cage for a week making sure nothing gets by. I know a month and week in a cage or solitary coop by himself is a bit much.

It works well for me and my friend who also observe quarantine period in our flocks. When the roo goes back to her, he would be solitary by himself with the horses in a cage for a month to make sure my flock does not pass the diseases into her flock. After that, he goes back into the flock barn for the remaining year.

Instead of stud service fees, I pay my friend with chicks I incubate all that time the roo and hens are productive.

 

[speckledhen]

Robin, you do have a unique situation and doing it that way could work for others, if they have the setup. Still, taking a bird from someone you dont really know would still present a risk, even with quarantine. You and your friend have an unusual arrangement that works for you.

 

[patandchickens]

It would work better, and thus prolly be more common, if chicken veterinary science were in anything like the state of dog or horse veterinary science.

As it is, there are too darn many chicken diseases that may not be apparent or that linger in the environment, and most of them are too hard to treat or eradicate, to be a sensible risk for most people.

JMHO,

Pat

 

[speckledhen]

I completely agree, Pat. We are lacking in knowledge of chickens that we have of dogs and cats.

 

[coffeemama]

If I had large fowl, I would consider this with a friend of mine's roos. I think if I knew the person and their flock I would feel comfortable with it. Not just some random bird though.

 

[spook]

I actually have a friend, he has the same type set up as I do, and this is where my birds (as eggs) came from, his are tested, mine are not, but the roo's are alone separately until its their turn to have whooopie with the girls. Needless to say, his roos I would not think a thing of using for a few days with 1 hen and then keep her separated for the fertilized eggs. But its not something I'd do with anyone elses roo.