Young toms treading hens

[onthespot]

Yesterday and the day before I saw two young toms in different pens attempting to tread a hen. The hens seemed to be cooperative, but not lifting their tails, and the toms seemed to be at a loss for what to do besides stand there and tread a little.... Are we gonna get fertile eggs one of these days, or are they just practicing for some future day when their hormones really kick in and they get with it like real birds??? I'm pictiring those little hens looking all flattened out the next day like turkey shaped manhole covers and no eggs. I wanna set some turkey eggs! By crackey I'm gonna be eatin' me some TURKEYS this year.

 

[pdpatch]

Yes that is a problem when you start a new flock and don't have older birds there to teach the young one.

About all you can do i hope they get it right. Or resort to artificial methods.

Tom

 

[chickenannie]

They just need some practice. They'll get it eventually.

 

[Cacklin" Hens]

Quote:
Just wondering how do you do the artificial method?

 

[onthespot]

For me, that would involve "buying other peoples' eggs"

 

[boxermom]

Sometimes it's too painful for me to watch. I think poor hen. Somehow Ole has gotten the job done. We have fertile eggs and am setting them under Lena today.

 

[MandyH]

I know everytime I look up and the goings on, I think to myself, "ouch, glad I'm not a turkey hen" LOL!!!

 

[onthespot]

Well, that bourbon red hen laid an egg today, so I will find out soon enough if any one made contact....

 

[pdpatch]

Cacklin" Hens :

Quote:
Just wondering how do you do the artificial method?

I have never done it, but after seeing it done on TV. You have this little bottle with two hoses, one goes in you mouth to create a vacuum in the bottle. the other goes to the tom sex organ in there cloaca to draw the sperm out.

There is a show on discovery channel called Dirty Jobs and that was one the jobs they showed.

Tom​

 

[crazybarnlady]

that certainly is a "dirty job"- on so many levels!!! ewwwwww....