Rooster Questions...Please help a newbie!

[Tsagirl]

Have 2 Silke roosters to 18 hens, and they all get along fine.

 

[Scootin' B Ranch]

yes I mean for food. Hubby and I were in the garden tonight and the white rooster jumped one of our red sex link hens!!! I won't go into detail but poor hen!! She is about half his size! Then he went over by the woods and started crowing.. over and over again. Told hubby I think it's time for him to go. Hubby is not thrilled with what I have been telling him the eggs will look like if the roosters get to the hens. So I take it they are ready for processing? We got them on April 15th and they coldn't have been more than a couple of days old but I am not sure. Bought them at the local feed store and they just got them in that day. I'll have to check the resources around this site because I was looking at my son's "rooster" and I am not so sure he is a he. He has the tail but not the comb or the waddles (I hope I got that right) I'll try and get some pics tomorrow. Thank you all so much for your help!!!

 

[fullhouse]

What do you mean by "Hubby is not thrilled with what I have been telling him the eggs will look like if the roosters get to the hens".

 

[Penske]

I am a first-timer with 12 pullets and 1 cockeral, so I have not had experience with egg laying yet, but...

I have been told by lots of people that if the eggs are collected 1-2 times a day and refrigerated, there is absolutely no difference in taste or appearance of fertilized eggs.

I am counting on this as being true as we are keeping our "oops" roo!!

Lisa

 

[Scootin' B Ranch]

From what I have read there is a bullseye in the yolk? Is it something that is easily seen or what? We have alot of people who want the eggs so I need them to look "normal" lol.

 

[Heather J]

2 things.

First: Americaunas don't have combs and wattles like other roosters. I thought for way more than six months that mine were female because of this...that and the fact that a friend found some green eggs along our run fence line, but it turns out those were from my Cayuga duck--whom we had thought was a drake. lol if you aren't sure, I'd hang on a little longer, or take a picture and post it to the 'What breed or gender is this?' forum.

Second: My rooster is very active

but I see no visible difference between my fertilized eggs and store bought ones once they've been cracked open (unless you count how yellow the yolks are, but that has nothing to do with fertilization).

Oh, I guess I do have a third point. Three is too many, two may be fine. Last year I ended up with all roosters (that's what I get for buying one of those discount price specials) and when I *finally* got hens in January I still had a buff orphington and two Americaunas, and they totally gang banged the hens until we gave the Americaunas away. All of my hens are missing at least a few feathers now, and some are missing nearly their whole backs. I'm counting down the months until they molt and get new feathers again.

 

[Nutty4Chickens]

Hi, I'm new at all this also, I read on this forum somewhere about the bullseye, there is absolutely nothing different about eating a fertilized egg and a non-fertilized egg. The bullseye is very tiny and if you didn't know about it you wouldn't notice it. My girls started laying in January before I had any roos. Now I have 22 girls and 6 roos and I can see the bullseye. I give and sell eggs (only to help pay for the feed) to friends and co workers, and everyone who has eaten them is amazed how much better than store bought, they are. I really wouldn't worry about it. If you do a search on this forum for pix of fertilized eggs, you may find it. I'm not to computer savy, I wouldn't know how to attach a link! Sorry! I hope I have been of some help.

 

[Nutty4Chickens]

...by the way, I know my hen to roo ratio is no good. I am working on finding new homes. It's hard because I love them, but the girls are beat up and exhausted. I know I'm off the subject but I figured I'd throw that in!!!

 

[Scootin' B Ranch]

Thanks so much for everyones help. I am off to find pics of the birds. Then I am out to take pics of mine to post. Probably will be tomorrow.