Rooster with Hen for Fertile eggs

[Ximat]

Hello,

As you can see this is only my second post, so I sure hope this is in the right area, and I really hope I get a warm reception, and help answering this question.


I live inside the city limits of where I live. The city does not have an ordance dissalowing Roosters, however, they do remind you that Roosters will violate the sound ordinance.

I have spoken with all of my neighbors, non of which have any problems of us having chickens, however, one neighbor has specifically said they will call the mayor (they even refer to the mayor by her first name, however, they are not BFF's or anything with the mayor - this just shows the type of people they are) if we were to get a rooster.

I would like to have a hen be able to lay some fertile eggs, and in turn sit on them to hatch and raise, so I've got a few questions.

1. How long would the hen and rooster need to be together in order to get fertile eggs?
2. Wold the hen immediatly become "broody" and sit on these eggs until they hatched?
3. Would momma hen and eggs need to be seprated from the rest of the flock for her to sit on the eggs?

We have the ability to temporarily house a hen with a rooster elsewhere, but I don't know how long they need to be together and all that good stuff.

Thanks in advance for your responses!


X

 

[Fred's Hens]

The Rooster would only need to mate with your hen a time or two, a long 3-4 day romantic weekend,

and she'd lay fertile egss for a 10 days, giving you potentially 8 fertile eggs to hatch. That said, the odds of her going broody precisely at the moment she is laying fertile eggs is such a loooooooooooong shot. An incubator would be needed. Just a small one.

So, we'd have a Rooster fetch and take, we'd be purchasing a small incubator, we'd be turning eggs or buying a turner, for perhaps 5 viable chicks IF everything went according to plan, which with the Peter Principle involved, it seldom does.

Sounds like an interesting plan, but just getting some chicks would be far more simple, but less interesting, I suppose. Best wishes,

 

[critterranch]

how long it takes to get fertile eggs can vary i would say 10 days and you should be good to go. but broodies do what ever they want when they want.
i would get a roo and incubator much eaiser than you could get the roo a new home. you could keep a roo in your house i have one in the house now in my bath tub because i just bought him. he in quanrtine. i forget hes in there he is 10 months he only crows in morning for about 2 3 mins and thats it sometimes he doesn't crow at all.

 

[critterranch]

my hens actually make more noise than my roo when they go the egg dance lol

 

[7L Farm]

You can always crack an egg open & check for the bullseye.

 

[Cranman]

My rooster only crows alot when the neighbors rooster crows...it's a back and forth thing. Also if you got the rooster and it became a issue you could put him on Craigs list for free pick up, and by the time that all happens you should start getting fertile eggs. Lastly maybe there are breeds that don't crow alot, might be worth researching.

 

[wbruder17]

Get a silkie hen to sit for you. They are ALWAYS broody and will generally sit/raise just about anything.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

1. Depends on how receptive your hens are to the roo, and if they let him mate them right away or not. I agree it SHOULD only take a few days, but if the hens don't particularly like him, it could take longer for him to "convince" the girls. Also, consider that if you need to bring in a roo from somewhere else, he should be quarantined for 30 days prior to coming into contact with your birds. For most people who don't have their own roo, this poses it's own problem. Buying hatching eggs from someone else might be the way to go.

2. Hens go broody, or don't go broody, if / when THEY choose. Some NEVER go broody their entire lives, this is more likely with hatchery birds, as the broodiness has largely been bred out of them. On the other hand, I have a bantam hen that broods 4-5 clutches for me per year (non-hatchery). You just never know what they are going to do, until THEY decide.

3. Lots of people let broodies stay with the flock for the duration, but if you do this, you need to consider that other hens will continue laying in the broodie's nest box, and you will need to remove their eggs daily (fertile eggs will need to be clearly marked with something OTHER than pencil, as that will wear off quickly) AND once the chicks hatch, they ARE in danger from the other hens that may attack them / try to kill them.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

 

[nwfl]

If I were you I would look on my ag extension site to see if there are chicken owners or breeders who might have a good breeding set up at their location which might be able to service your hens. For example I keep a tidy operation and keep two good breeding roosters in sizable safe breeding pens and introduce hens four times a year. People that are active with county ag extension are usually knowlegeable and have healthy safe environments. Check that out.

 

[Billyj]

Glad you could come.