the swedes

[featherednest]

I have a rooster and 2 hens that were hatched eggs a friend received from Greenfire Farms. They are lovely pics attached. One of the hens lays larger eggs than the other. My gray hen lays larger eggs, and all the eggs we incubated have been fertile, the other hen lays smaller eggs and we incubated 7 of her eggs, only 3 were fertile but all 3 hatched. Is it possible that the rooster favors the gray hen?

 

[Clucksworth]

Rooster's can choose favorites, however I doubt this is having a significant effect on the fertility of your eggs. The fertility of eggs can depends on a number of factors. If eggs are left in very cold conditions before being incubated, no chick will start to develop inside the egg, also your cockerel may not be 100% fertile.
If your cockerel is favoring the grey hen then he may not be be fertilizing the other hen as regularly, therefore making the other hen's eggs less likely to be fertile. However chickens can stay fertile for nearly 3 weeks after doing the do, so it's a bit unusual that your cockerel isn't doing it very frequently, especially seeing as he's only running with 2 hens.

 

[featherednest]

if the gray hen has 100% fertile eggs, of the ones we incubated, do you think that the rooster would still be less fertile or that the issue is with his frequency of fertilizing the other hen? He certainly seems manly enough

if you can judge by sight! I am thinking I probably need another rooster anyway if I am going to breed unrelated chicks.

Thanks for the input, I appreciate any ideas.
Annette