When I previously had chickens, I always started with chicks or young stock that wasn't yet laying. Roosters were normally "accidents" I picked out of straight run chick cages.
But every egg I ever got was fertile, fertility never being an issue. The roosters seemed to "grow up" before the hens started laying, so when they did start laying, the eggs were "good".
This time though, my rooster seems to be missing part of his development.
He does everything else he's supposed to do. Watches out for them, interupts their hen spats, feeds them, shows them around the yard. I saw him pick out a nest site a couple days ago (they all ignored it, and I don't blame them, not only was it away from the nest boxes, it was in a bright corner without any privacy).
He courts them, does the wing dance, and he started the egg song yesterday when Chipmunk laid her first egg for me. She's 2 years old, has been a momma, and so she's my only experienced hen. Her egg sure tasted good in the omlette, but it was a dud as far as hatching goes. Not fertile. I know she "likes" Jibbers, she never argues with him, comes when food is offered, doesn't shy away from him when he does the wing dance.
He's really liking the two new standard game hens I got, courts them more than the others. They're not laying yet, the guy I got them from said about another month before they start. (they're 5 months old)
But I still haven't seem him "do the deed" and there is not one hen who is missing any feathers anywhere. My dad said "You don't know what goes on in that hen house after you turn the light out"... LOL... true, but that egg wasn't fertile.
Prissy is acting like she'll lay soon, squating for me, bawking while pacing in the house (which is what Chipmunk did all day yesterday and finally laid at 3pm)
I changed their diet around a week ago, 2 cups of layer pellets, 1 cup showbird/game feed (does amazing things to their plumage and shine) 1/4 cup shelled/crumbled sunflower seeds (adds fat for winter, they've been on that for a month now and I can feel a difference in weight) and some oyster shell sprinkled over the top, then all mixed in, twice a day. Plus 3 hours a day of free range for bugs and grass.
Anyways, the diet change and lightbulb addition is what got Chipmunk back into laying, but now I have this dang virgin rooster still! Him and Prissy were hatched in Spring of this year, not sure what month. His spurs are nubs, less than 1/4 inch long.
But every egg I ever got was fertile, fertility never being an issue. The roosters seemed to "grow up" before the hens started laying, so when they did start laying, the eggs were "good".
This time though, my rooster seems to be missing part of his development.
He does everything else he's supposed to do. Watches out for them, interupts their hen spats, feeds them, shows them around the yard. I saw him pick out a nest site a couple days ago (they all ignored it, and I don't blame them, not only was it away from the nest boxes, it was in a bright corner without any privacy).
He courts them, does the wing dance, and he started the egg song yesterday when Chipmunk laid her first egg for me. She's 2 years old, has been a momma, and so she's my only experienced hen. Her egg sure tasted good in the omlette, but it was a dud as far as hatching goes. Not fertile. I know she "likes" Jibbers, she never argues with him, comes when food is offered, doesn't shy away from him when he does the wing dance.
He's really liking the two new standard game hens I got, courts them more than the others. They're not laying yet, the guy I got them from said about another month before they start. (they're 5 months old)
But I still haven't seem him "do the deed" and there is not one hen who is missing any feathers anywhere. My dad said "You don't know what goes on in that hen house after you turn the light out"... LOL... true, but that egg wasn't fertile.
Prissy is acting like she'll lay soon, squating for me, bawking while pacing in the house (which is what Chipmunk did all day yesterday and finally laid at 3pm)
I changed their diet around a week ago, 2 cups of layer pellets, 1 cup showbird/game feed (does amazing things to their plumage and shine) 1/4 cup shelled/crumbled sunflower seeds (adds fat for winter, they've been on that for a month now and I can feel a difference in weight) and some oyster shell sprinkled over the top, then all mixed in, twice a day. Plus 3 hours a day of free range for bugs and grass.
Anyways, the diet change and lightbulb addition is what got Chipmunk back into laying, but now I have this dang virgin rooster still! Him and Prissy were hatched in Spring of this year, not sure what month. His spurs are nubs, less than 1/4 inch long.
