Seeing the donut....QUESTION ADDED 7/1

[itsy]

Quote:

I'll wait a couple more days and candle the ones in the incubator. If no luck - I'll simply get some in the mail! I was really hoping to get babies out of this chicken. I happen to really like her. I have a NHR roo - but he's just started to crow and mate with the other chickens. I don't know if he knows what he's doing yet. My first batch of pullets is just starting to lay their eggs. The white leghorn has started first. I should crack her eggs open to see if they're fertile, but I'd doubt they are yet.

 

[gryeyes]

Nope, that egg has not been fertilized. It's an "eater" not a "hatcher."

I wouldn't expect fertile eggs until the pullets have been laying a couple of weeks after rooster mating attempts. Well, I wouldn't try to hatch the early eggs, because the girls' are still getting their egg-making innards going and a lot of odd things happen until they've been at it a while.


And chicken sex is VERY brief. Just a few seconds for the "cloacal kiss." If the girl doesn't move her tail over as the rooster moves HIS over for their vents to touch, fertilization ain't gonna happen.

 

[itsy]

Thanks for the tips!

My rooster is still very new at this whole thing, but he appears to be getting better. The girls are staying still now instead of freaking out - which I'm sure helps. My concern is that I have a little mille fleur d'uccle bantam in there with them all. She grew up from chick with them. The roo is getting larger by the second. I don't think he'd mount her because she's like pigeon sized - especially next to him, but I'll keep an eye out.

He seems to prefer the larger girls anyway.

 

[Saltysteele]

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Me, too

Give him time, he'll get there

 

[itsy]

Quote:
Me, too

Give him time, he'll get there