What to do with a rooster when you don’t want fertile eggs all the time

[nuthatched]

It's only fertile, it's not alive until after 24 hours of incubation. A hen can stay fertile up to a month after mating so I'm not sure how you'd do it. You can have a separate coop for breeding with a roo and a few hens

 

[Pipica]

I don’t eat meat and a fertile egg potentially is meat.

Eeeee… fertile or not it’s ‘potentially meat’. If you going to keep animals you are responsible for their quality of life. I have no problem processing one of my own birds and eating it but while is under my protection it gets to live its best life. Living in the coop in diapers is not living an honest chicken life. Sometimes some things are just not meant to be. Maybe you should look into owning some other type of pets more suitable to your ideas. You can always purchase unfertilized eggs from store. Chickens are flock animals and you don’t get to put them in or remove them from the flock on your wimps, they have pecking order and your interference can be a life or death situation. It’s not fear to the animal. Forgive me but you need to think this through before you purchase animals.

 

[Iluveggers]

Thank you for being helpful. I really appreciate it. What is your opinion on bringing a rooster over when we would like chicks? My friend has about 40 silkies and I can borrow a rooster from her. We would incubate the eggs from the first ten days. The rest, I would give away to family members and neighbors until I was sure enough time had passed for me to eat them.

Could you just buy some eggs from your friend, or swap her an equal amount when you want fertile ones?

 

[Coops Dad]

its only "potentially" meat but it isnt meat......


How often are you wanting to hatch chicks then?

OP's convictions are harmless yet important to OP.

OP- as you said, you can go without a rooster. Silkies go broody constantly so, when you want to hatch some eggs, just get 5 or 6 fertile eggs from your friend and put them in a nest. The first one that goes broody gets moved to your momma pen with the eggs and gets to hatch out the babies.

 

[lomine]

Something that hasn't been mentioned yet is your plan for the chicks. Unless you plan to keep every chick and keep two separate flocks (one all males, one all females), then you will need to come up with a plan on what to do with them.

I always see lots of ads for Silkie roosters available in my area and they don't go fast. If you can't handle the idea of some of those birds going to other people's dinner tables, I would suggest not raising chicks. Silkies aren't much for meat but they won't all go on to be pets.

 

[SourRoses]

OP's convictions are harmless yet important to OP.

I wouldn't call it a conviction. Being a vegetarian or a vegan or pescatarian is a conviction.
Not understanding the nature of the food item is a failure of research and logic.

The problem with the idea that everyone should remain completely neutral and quiet is that they are spreading misinformation in the process.

Next thing there will be an anti-fertile egg movement keeping normal BYC keepers from successfully selling fertilized eggs for eating. Imagine what a drag that would be... and when it comes to animal welfare, wouldn't accomplish a thing.

 

[fluffycrow]

If you wish to hatch eggs, it's important to know if you're comfortable with culling. It's is unfortunately very related to hatching eggs

 

[Chookwagn]

I’m not really sure yet. My daughter is starting 4H and wants to do the chicks for that. I have a friend that will incubate for her until she buys her own. I would imagine she’ll do a few short periods a year. I’m sorry I don’t have the answer to that question yet.

Ok so you realize that 1 mating from a rooster can fertilize eggs for up to 3+ weeks

 

[Chicken poppy]

As a former vegan, I understand your concern but a fertile egg isn’t potential meat. If it isn’t warmed up, it won’t develop. If dirt has seeds in it but they haven’t sprouted, they are potential plants but they aren’t plants. If it isn’t given water or sunlight, it won’t develop.

If you really feel strongly about it, I would forego a rooster. Adding & removing will be too hard on the flock. You can always purchase fertile eggs (usually cheap on craigslist) if you want to hatch chicks.

X2. Some people on BYC even sell eggs, i’m sure you could find some silkie eggs. (If that’s what you intend to hatch) it would be the same process if you have a broody hen, i think that would be more convenient for you.

 

[Chicken poppy]

Thank you for being helpful. I really appreciate it. What is your opinion on bringing a rooster over when we would like chicks? My friend has about 40 silkies and I can borrow a rooster from her. We would incubate the eggs from the first ten days. The rest, I would give away to family members and neighbors until I was sure enough time had passed for me to eat them.

I don’t think i would do it. It might spread some disease like SilverBirds mentioned. To risky. Also, they could and probably would hurt each other since they aren’t used to each other.

Keep in mind randomly adding in a rooster could be a hazard for your daughter since you wouldn’t be familiar with his temperament around her and your hens.