The Wyandotte Thread

[Jon Wagner]

 

[Wyandottes7]

Hello all,

I'm breeding some of my Wyandottes this year. But, so far, I've had trouble with fertility. I recently set 22 Wyandotte eggs (collected from three different females), and none of them were fertile. I'm wondering if any of you have some tips on improving fertility, at least a little!

A little background on the birds and the conditions the eggs were kept in:

The birds are White Wyandotte Bantams. There are two pullets, 11 months old, and one hen (nearly two years old) who I successfully bred last year. They have been laying regularly (every other day, sometimes for two days in a row and then skipping one day) for the past month or so. I started lighting for them in late October and they are getting around 14 hours of light each day.

I have two Wyandotte males. One is a cock from last year (same age as the Wyandotte hen), who I bred to the hen successfully last year (with near 100% fertility). The other is a cockerel, hatched this February. Both are also getting at least 14 hours of light each day and are very ready and willing to breed the hens.

I haven't been keeping the females with the males, as the males are quite vicious when it comes to breeding (and the hens panic when around them). Instead, once or twice a day I've been taking the hens and letting the male mount them. Both males do so quite willingly. I've done this for every female for the last three weeks. The females don't cooperate completely and often start running away after he's mounted them for a few seconds. I thought that he was making contact, but I'm not so sure after having no fertile eggs.

The oldest eggs I set in the incubator were 14 days old. They were stored in an approximately 65 degree room.


So, do any of you have ideas on increasing fertility? I'm not completely sure what the problem is. I mated the cock bird to the hen last year, at this same time, using the same method of bringing the hen to the male, and had near 100% fertility. The males seem quite eager. The hens don't cooperate fully, but I'd think that at least one mating was successful.

Meanwhile, I've trimmed the feathers around the vents of the cock bird and the two pullets. Both pullets are going to be bred, from now on, to the cock, just in case the Wyandotte cockerel was infertile. I've also put the pullets with the male, instead of taking them to him twice a day, just to see if that helps.

But, any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I would like to know whether anyone else has had trouble with Wyandottes and their fertility, or if only my birds have this problem.

 

[wyandodo]

I am working towards red porcelain, but with the black markings replaced by blue.
Therefor I am using a redporcelain rooster and a blue laced golden hen.
The first 10 eggs are in the incubator.
January the first, the chicks should hatch.

 

[mymilliefleur]

I am working towards red porcelain, but with the black markings replaced by blue.
Therefor I am using a redporcelain rooster and a blue laced golden hen.
The first 10 eggs are in the incubator.
January the first, the chicks should hatch.

Nice looking rooster!

 

[wny egger]

Hello all,

I'm breeding some of my Wyandottes this year. But, so far, I've had trouble with fertility. I recently set 22 Wyandotte eggs (collected from three different females), and none of them were fertile. I'm wondering if any of you have some tips on improving fertility, at least a little!

A little background on the birds and the conditions the eggs were kept in:

The birds are White Wyandotte Bantams. There are two pullets, 11 months old, and one hen (nearly two years old) who I successfully bred last year. They have been laying regularly (every other day, sometimes for two days in a row and then skipping one day) for the past month or so. I started lighting for them in late October and they are getting around 14 hours of light each day.

I have two Wyandotte males. One is a cock from last year (same age as the Wyandotte hen), who I bred to the hen successfully last year (with near 100% fertility). The other is a cockerel, hatched this February. Both are also getting at least 14 hours of light each day and are very ready and willing to breed the hens.

I haven't been keeping the females with the males, as the males are quite vicious when it comes to breeding (and the hens panic when around them). Instead, once or twice a day I've been taking the hens and letting the male mount them. Both males do so quite willingly. I've done this for every female for the last three weeks. The females don't cooperate completely and often start running away after he's mounted them for a few seconds. I thought that he was making contact, but I'm not so sure after having no fertile eggs.

The oldest eggs I set in the incubator were 14 days old. They were stored in an approximately 65 degree room.


So, do any of you have ideas on increasing fertility? I'm not completely sure what the problem is. I mated the cock bird to the hen last year, at this same time, using the same method of bringing the hen to the male, and had near 100% fertility. The males seem quite eager. The hens don't cooperate fully, but I'd think that at least one mating was successful.

Meanwhile, I've trimmed the feathers around the vents of the cock bird and the two pullets. Both pullets are going to be bred, from now on, to the cock, just in case the Wyandotte cockerel was infertile. I've also put the pullets with the male, instead of taking them to him twice a day, just to see if that helps.

But, any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I would like to know whether anyone else has had trouble with Wyandottes and their fertility, or if only my birds have this problem.

i have not done any hatching but wanted to make sure someone answers ya here ..it seems like you have done everything you should be from all the reading i've done ..i am sure theres others on here that can help ya ..just wanted to bump this post and see what the old timers have to say about this ..i am intrested in hearing what they all say also ..good luck i hope you find the answers ..

 

[mymilliefleur]

Hello all,

I'm breeding some of my Wyandottes this year. But, so far, I've had trouble with fertility. I recently set 22 Wyandotte eggs (collected from three different females), and none of them were fertile. I'm wondering if any of you have some tips on improving fertility, at least a little!

A little background on the birds and the conditions the eggs were kept in:

The birds are White Wyandotte Bantams. There are two pullets, 11 months old, and one hen (nearly two years old) who I successfully bred last year. They have been laying regularly (every other day, sometimes for two days in a row and then skipping one day) for the past month or so. I started lighting for them in late October and they are getting around 14 hours of light each day.

I have two Wyandotte males. One is a cock from last year (same age as the Wyandotte hen), who I bred to the hen successfully last year (with near 100% fertility). The other is a cockerel, hatched this February. Both are also getting at least 14 hours of light each day and are very ready and willing to breed the hens.

I haven't been keeping the females with the males, as the males are quite vicious when it comes to breeding (and the hens panic when around them). Instead, once or twice a day I've been taking the hens and letting the male mount them. Both males do so quite willingly. I've done this for every female for the last three weeks. The females don't cooperate completely and often start running away after he's mounted them for a few seconds. I thought that he was making contact, but I'm not so sure after having no fertile eggs.

The oldest eggs I set in the incubator were 14 days old. They were stored in an approximately 65 degree room.


So, do any of you have ideas on increasing fertility? I'm not completely sure what the problem is. I mated the cock bird to the hen last year, at this same time, using the same method of bringing the hen to the male, and had near 100% fertility. The males seem quite eager. The hens don't cooperate fully, but I'd think that at least one mating was successful.

Meanwhile, I've trimmed the feathers around the vents of the cock bird and the two pullets. Both pullets are going to be bred, from now on, to the cock, just in case the Wyandotte cockerel was infertile. I've also put the pullets with the male, instead of taking them to him twice a day, just to see if that helps.

But, any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I would like to know whether anyone else has had trouble with Wyandottes and their fertility, or if only my birds have this problem.

I'm not an incubation expert, but I have set eggs up to 16 days old with no issue. Did you tip the eggs? (move the carton back and forth each day, to keep the yolk and white in place, and well ''exercised'') Can you separate the roos and just put one of them in with the hens?
My hens always freak out when I put them in with a strange rooster, but they are fine after a couple of days. How old is your wyandotte rooster? I don't have one, but I have a Rhode island red rooster, that covered 40 hens last spring, while I was testing his fertility with no issue. Also, where did you store the eggs?

 

[Wyandottes7]

Did you tip the eggs? I started rolling the eggs when I had collected them for about 7 days. I admit, however, that I didn't do it every day.
Can you separate the roos and just put one of them in with the hens? I have put one of the roosters (the older cock bird in with the two Wyandottes (the pullets) that are still laying.
How old is your wyandotte rooster? My Wyandotte rooster is 2 years old. The cockerel is nearly a year old.
Also, where did you store the eggs? I stored them in my basement, where it is usually 60-65 degrees.

Thanks for the help, wny egger and mymilliefleur!

So far, having the two pullets in with one of the males is working out, I think. They settled down with him in about a day and have laid 6 eggs since then. I've cracked those eggs open and yesterday at least one of the eggs was definitely fertile (could see a clear bulls-eye). I've seen the rooster breeding the pullets, too. Another one of my pullets started laying a few days ago and I've put her in with the male too. She's likely going to lay today and I'm going to crack that one open to see if she's fertile.

I'll keep you all updated!

 

[pigeonman95]

 

[Amberjem]

 

[wyandodo]

@mymilliefleur Thanks!

Chicks hatched! Got 8 crosses between jubilee and blue laced golden.
I plan on keeping the hens that show blue and put them together with a jubilee rooster.
2 More generations and I hope I have some blue jubilees of descent quality.