Who Needs a Rooster When You have 3 Adolescent Pullets???

[speckledhen]

Is there anyway to tell whether a rooster is fertile or not?

well, if you crack open the egg and look at the blastodisc, you can tell if the egg is fertile. But some young ones are fertile but haven't gotten the knack of mating so it may take awhile for the eggs to show fertility.

Check out my thread here for details: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/16008/how-to-tell-a-fertile-vs-infertile-egg-pictures

 

[heatherlaw]

Ugh just as I was reading this thread my flock of 8 started up with their egg song. The coop is right outside my bedroom window (brilliant I know, but we live in town and that was the only spot we could put it). No naps around here. My silkie likes to sing for everyone else which gets the whole gangs going. Who knew my silkie would be the loudest?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I do have a couple of cockerels, but a bunch of pullets. Only two crowing and 2 out of 3 girls don't even sing when they lay.

But what I really want to say is I keep having dead or dying baby gophers show up close to the chicken area. I think my dog got the adults, as I have disposed of a few recently. With so many chickens, (33 outside) all pretty young still... I don't know who is doing it. But my 3 oldest BR girls are quite brutal.... all though none of them seem to show any mercy when they are participating in what me & my daughter call "a beat down". At this age, the BR even chase the cockerels away. They are from different broods so still adjusting to life together. One day, I hope the BR get put in their place. Though I am sure it will happen because I see the dynamics in the flock changing all the time.

So I love having my cockerels, but a long the theme of this thread.... ya, the pullets raise a good ruckus all on their own!

I know it wasn't the dogs that got the little gophers because they are ALL OVER stuff when they got it and they clearly came out and sniffed like "where did that come from?".