Tips to increase egg fertility?

[skeeter]

just because they dont hatch doesnt mean they are not fertile,when you break open the eggs to eat you can check fertility,then you will know whats what,sometimes they just dont develope

 

[ChickyTown]

I have a Malines Rooster in with only 3 barred rock hens and I am getting only around 33% fertility with each set of eggs I incubate. I also gave eggs to a lady for her to hatch and she only had 40% hatch rate...soooo he doesn't have that many ladies to service what can I do to help him out? they are fed layer pellets, scratch and kitchen scraps, I am thinking of introducing meal worms?

 

[lazy gardener]

Are you positive it's a fertility issue? Have you cracked open a dozen eggs and checked for fertility? Have you opened up the eggs that failed to grow and seen whether there was a developing blastoderm? Are the chicks that do hatch nice and healthy? Do the eggs hatch within 24 hours either way, of the onset of day 21? You might want to increase the protein, either by adding some meat/eggs to their diet or buy a bag of multi-flock. You could also give them some Poultry Nutri-drench in their water several times/week. Fertility sometimes drops in the winter, and picks back up as the days get longer and warmer.

 

[ChickyTown]

I have cracked dozens of eggs...while eating, they are not bulls eyed, so I just don't think he's getting them, I was told to pluck his fluffy butt a little...?

 

[lazy gardener]

You could give both him and the girls a trim. If that don't work, he's got problems, either hitting the mark, or his boys don't swim.

 

[ChickyTown]

Well the boys that make it swim as I do have 6 chicks from him, I man-scapped him a few days ago so we will see if that helps

 

[ChickyTown]

So fertility issue solved...incubating issue created....1 hatched out of 12, like 8 fully formed chicks that died while/during hatching
Styro bator...to high humidity? What causes late term deaths?

 

[PeasPoultry]

Chickytown, was it the "manscaping" that helped your fertility issue? I'm having major fertility problems with my Orpingtons and wondering if that could really be the problem. Haven't tried it yet but I will tomorrow if it might help. I have 2 Roos and 5 hens, and not a single fertile egg. They get a 20% layer crumble. I don't get it

 

[RugerFan777]

Chickytown, was it the "manscaping" that helped your fertility issue? I'm having major fertility problems with my Orpingtons and wondering if that could really be the problem. Haven't tried it yet but I will tomorrow if it might help. I have 2 Roos and 5 hens, and not a single fertile egg. They get a 20% layer crumble. I don't get it

Lock up rooster for few days. Increased mating and sperm count when they get out. Push hens down and watch mate after they get out.

 

[PeasPoultry]

Thanks, I'll try it. It can't hurt.