Rooster is n heaven,but hens don't like him

[Nashonii]

The poor rooster I want for my breeder, had a brother who is dominate, so took up with the female guinea hen. Then all the females took up with his brother, when they all went into puberty. When my 'breeder' saw what his brother got, he started trying to 'get some' from the guinea hen. She hide and he became frustrated and mean to her, (seeing as he didn't know how to woo her, and couldn't have her anyway.) He is the one I want to breed with the hens, so I penned him with 2 of his brothers hens. The hens don't like him, but they spent the night o.k.
I saw him 'get some' from one of them, good, this morning, after dancing for her...so he's got it down now.
But the hens are clawing and pulling at the bars to get back to his brother. They still don't like him as well.
2Questions:
1.) How can I make it more tolerable for the hens..hoping they will become as enamored with my breeder rooster as they are with his brother.
2.) If the one he 'got' this morning lays an egg will it be fertile? or will it be tomorrows egg that is furtile?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

The egg will be fertile but likely sired by the unwanted breeder. His genetics are stored in the hens he's been with and will be for 2 weeks. To be sure the breeding cockerel's genes are the ones in your eggs then you should wait 3 weeks before collecting to incubate.

If the hens are in line of site of the rest of the flock they'll want to get back to them, it's not necisarily the new to them cockerel rather the security of the flock they were in. You should put up a tarp/blind or if easily moved, move the breeder coop further away. Regardless they'll settle down eventually.

 

[sourland]

Why keep the dominant rooster if you don't want to use him for breeding? I would let the 'breeder' rooster run with all of the hens and either separate or eat the other. Hens can retain sperm from a rooster for up to 30 days. That means that any eggs laid during that period may very well have been fertilized by the dominant rooster.

 

[Nashonii]

Thanks for the info Sourland. I didn't know that the hens could retain sperm. I don't say I won't breed his brother, he is my husbands favorite. He is lovely, it's that I like the splash colored roo. So they will both be used for breeding. Splash just didn't have a change to get any with his brother protecting all the hens. I had to separate him to give him a chance. Hoping the girls can be swayed to him as well.

 

[Nashonii]

Thank you Egghead, I want to breed Splash as well as his brother, so I have separated them. Splash has 2 females, and his brother has 3. So how do people breed with the pair they want? Are the pair kept separate for a month or more before the hen is released back in to 'the flock'? Doesn't she loose her place in the order? Is the rooster always kept penned up?

 

[ve]

Quote: THAT IS WHAT YOU DO WHEN YOU WANT TO HATCH EGGS FROM SERTAIN ROO AND HENS, YOU PEN THEM TOGETER FOR 3 WEEKS AND AFTER THAT START COLECTING EGGS.

 

[donrae]

Most folks trying to do what you're describing just have separate breeding pens. The hens are separated from the unwanted rooster for a good 2 weeks before eggs are collected for incubation.

I think most folks who do serious breeding really aren't as concerned about the "pecking order" as most backyard folks. They know birds work things out eventually and are more tolerant of animals taking care of things themselves. So many backyard folks want to micromanage how the flock interacts, breeders don't look upon them as pets to be protected.

I think your hens just need time to get used to the new rooster. No animal likes change, I've got chickens all freaked out because I moved some stuff in the run. It's not that they like or dislike a specific rooster, it's just a matter of what they're used to. By the 2 weeks, they'll be good with him.

 

[Nashonii]

VE, direct and to the point, thanks for the information. I have had Splash and the 2 hens in a separate pen, put a sheet up between the two brothers and their hens, and things ARE going much better. It has been two weeks, so I see that 3 weeks will only make it better. Thank you for answering me.

Thank you too, Donrae. I know I am a new chicken owner, your right. I have always had 'pets' and find the same way of thinking creeps in. I've been trying to change that , as we plan of 'culling' the males we don't want. But the hens are still 'my girls', and I don't want trouble between any of them...fighting or non acceptance, etc. I know the original 'farmer' way of thinking sees us new-bees as silly, and we are I guess. But that's the way it goes. I enjoy chickens all the same.,,everyone seems happy here. Just trying to get into the chicken way of thinking so I can understand how things should be done, and why things happen.
Thanks everyone for educating us!