rooster can't complete

[frostypenn]

My rooster does everything right, the ladies are patient, even eager, but they can't complete the cloacal kiss. It seems like they have too many feathers. Does anybody clip the chickens' butt feathers? I'm in NM and the temps rarely go below 20 degrees, but they have great, thick coats. I have seen a guy pull all the feathers out of his rooster's butt, leaving him naked, but I don't want to do that to all my birds. Any advice?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

You can cut feathers there. Though how do you know they aren't completing the kiss? Are you doing fertility checks?

 

[frostypenn]

It's because they make the move, give up, and try again. After several tries, he gets off, dances, and gets on again. She sometimes stays there and sometimes gets up and shakes herself, then, with the dance, squats again. They finally give up. I don't see the mutual get-off-crow-shake self and wander-off behavior I used to see when I lived in Va.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Mine rarely crow after breeding. If the female is shaking, that's her getting his sperm into the right place

 

[frostypenn]

Oh, that's good news. Maybe they are succeeding after all. When it gets warm, I'll let them keep their eggs and raise a family.

 

[samanthaoverton]

It's because they make the move, give up, and try again. After several tries, he gets off, dances, and gets on again. She sometimes stays there and sometimes gets up and shakes herself, then, with the dance, squats again. They finally give up. I don't see the mutual get-off-crow-shake self and wander-off behavior I used to see when I lived in Va.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Crack an egg open into a bowl and look for the bullseye. It's prominent, not hard to find the white ring on the dark yellow yolk and a sure test of fertility.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Here is an old thread on the topic.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/fluff-trimming-question.153319/

But I agree with Egghead. Check for the bull's eye first. This thread has photos to help you know what you are looking for.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/16008/how-to-tell-a-fertile-vs-infertile-egg-pictures