Separating roo and hen...

[DcSmile06]

I tried to find answers before posting. Sorry if there is another post and I didn't find it. I'm working on getting 10 girls and 1 roo. I don't want to have 20 extra chicks one day so I want to separate my roo and then just bring him a hen when I want more chicks. Is this even possible. I understand how to reintroduce the hen and babies when putting them back into the coop. I'm more looking for a way to "Try" and keep control over how many babies we have at a time. Is there a way to do this? Any ideas are appreciated. This is our first time to have a roo and not sure how to "control" the number of chicks we have at a time.

Cristy

 

[FireTigeris]

Not necessary, just collect eggs every day and there will be no chicks.

Even if you were to go on vacation and the eggs not collected-you'd still need to be gone 21 days- if you separated him the hens wold still have his seed for about 2-3 weeks after their last mating.

Eggs must be incubated to start developing, for about '24 consecutive hours' (according to the books) then for 18-23 hours every additional day till hatch- but the hens 'know' the temperature of the eggs and here in FL take long breaks.

So you would need a broody hen (a hen that still has the programing in her to stop laying eggs and set them then raise chicks) and be gone for 21 +/- days to have ''surprise" chicks show up. Each hen unless broody or in moult lays one egg each 'day' (about 26 hours really).

 

[DcSmile06]

Thanks, Let me just make sure I have this right. So if shes on the eggs and wont get off she may be broody and trying to incubate them to hatch? If I take the eggs each day they more than likely wont become chicks (so I could still eat that egg even if it were fertile).

Do hens become broody all at one time? Is candleig the only way to tell if they are fertile?

Sorry so many questions. I just never had a roo with my girls. Want to get all my ducks in a row so to speak.

 

[FireTigeris]

Thanks, Let me just make sure I have this right. So if shes on the eggs and wont get off she may be broody and trying to incubate them to hatch? If I take the eggs each day they more than likely wont become chicks (so I could still eat that egg even if it were fertile).

Do hens become broody all at one time? Is candleig the only way to tell if they are fertile?

Sorry so many questions. I just never had a roo with my girls. Want to get all my ducks in a row so to speak.

No problem, ducks?

I thought we we talking chicken.

Hens go broody depending on breed and hormone levels- some breeds never go broody some seem to always be broody, no males required, fertile eggs not required- actually eggs are not even required.

You have the correct definition of broody.

You can open an egg and look for the 'mark' it will look like the 'Target' bulls-eye and will be white's clear on the top of the yolk- somewhere there are pictures...

If there is no 'center dot' to the circle it is unfertilized, if it has the center dot it is fertile.

You can eat the eggs no problem, you have probably had some in the past.

Collecting eggs once a day will keep the chick from developing, you have that perfect now also.

 

[DcSmile06]

I found a thread saying how to tell if they are fertile eggs.