rooster questions

[Ridgerunner]

This site talks about storing eggs for incubation. I personally would not store them waiting on a broody. You could wind up waiting forever. Once you get a broody, collect fertile eggs for a few days, then put them under her. Making her wait for a week on fake eggs won't hurt her.

Texas A&M Incubation site
http://gallus.tamu.edu/library/extpublications/b6092.pdf


A Barred Rock rooster will give all black and white barred offspring the first generation, although there is a great chance (I'd say great probability) that some other colors will bleed through, especially around the neck. The Ameraucana hens witht he barred rock could give you Easter Eggers that might lay blue or green eggs but they will be barred.

An Ameraucana rooster could give you many different offspring, depending on his genetic make-up. Any of his offspring could be Easter Eggers, especially if they have a pea comb, but this is not guaranteed.

 

[sunnydt]

Sorry I was not very clear, I have a buff orpington rooster, not a barred rock. I have barred rock, rhode island red, black astraulorp, and americauna hens and Im thinking about getting a ameraucana rooster too.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
How many hens do you have total? It's not necessary to have more than one roo for a flock of 10 to 15 hens, unless you want excellent fertilization rates.
I have one roo to 13 hens and he does just fine keeping his girls in line and keeping all the eggs fertilized. All except that one hen that won't let him anywhere near her.

 

[sunnydt]

I just have the one buff orpington rooster but want to get an araucana rooster as well. I have 12 hens. Im trying to find out what I would get from crossing my rooster to the different hens I have. Is there a way to sex the baby chicks by color?

 

[mboreham1]

you may find that 2 roosters to 12 hens is not a large enough ratio, especially as the current rooster is the king of the flock. Introducing another rooster will probably create some fights as they decide who rules the roost. If you separate them out 6 hens each there shouldn't be too many problems. Of course you can just put them all together and let nature take its course, in the wild there is no rooster to hen ratio rule, they get on with it one becomes senior one becomes the junior!

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I agree. I wouldn't overload myself in the roo dept., right away.