More chicken breeding questions!

debbieo4914 · **Posted:** Sun Sep 09, 2007 5:40 pm

Hi everyone,

How often does a rooster have to mate with a hen to ensure that all eggs laid are fertilised (if he is fertile, obviously)?

I really don't know if my lavender pekin rooster is doing the job - he seems to court the hens, circling them with his wing down, etc, but a lot of the time when they submit and squat on the ground, he will then walk away. Fickle fellow he is!

I've had him shut up with two hens most of the time (the two I want to breed from) and occasionally let him out with the rest of the flock for a bit of 'free time'. Today when I did this (after 5pm, thinking he'd be all worn out) he flirted with a blue hen and then mated with a black hen. I'm sure the neighbours are beginning to worry about this strange person paying so much attention to mating chickens.....

Any thoughts welcome.

Thanks!
Debbie

Happyhenz. · **Joined:** Mon Aug 20, 2007 10:49 am **Posts:** 607

im my experience the quickest way to get a roo to mate a hen is lock him away from her but where he can see her (teasing him) for a couple of days then "accidently" leave the gate open and hey presto! he thinks he has outsmarted you and he will be in like flynn :lol:

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Peacocks Australia · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2002 9:14 am **Posts:** 310755

Hi Debbieo4914, A working roo should on average mate approx 10 times a day. They are most active in the early morning and late afternoon. Fertility will depend on age, time of year (Spring is the best time) amount of Hens, Diet, ect.. We remove our roos 2-3 months prior to the season and will do this again during the season if fertility is poor. Your Roo is with the Hens full time? this can result in a lazy boy. A good working(Alpha) roo will mate 12+ times a day and can service several hens with good fertility, especially if there is competition near by.

Don't worry, most poultry breeders stand and watch, but yes it must look quite strange to some. One of our keepers vocally spurs on a Male if he happens to see the act!

Thanks
Peacocks Australia :lol:

debbieo4914 · **Posted:** Sun Sep 09, 2007 6:43 pm

Thank you. Can't say I'm out there cheering, but as the season goes on who knows!

I have a small coop (where I usually shut the so-called breeding trio after a bit of a graze) next to our bigger coop, and the other hens free range around this spot most of the day. The rooster is with his two hens during the day, but is shut in a converted nest box by himself overnight so that his crowing doesn't cause any neighbour problems. Would it work better if I separate him in the smaller coop every second day where he can still see and interact with the hens through the wire, and then put his girls with him every second day, or do you still think it's a matter of weeks/months of separation? If he only mates with the breeding hens every second day can you still count on all the eggs being fertilised (how long is a mating effective)?

Also, the question of competition.....I just gave away a black rooster because he was too aggressive (we have small kids!), but now I only have the one rooster - do they genererally perform better if there is another rooster around? I have been wondering if he is feeling a little "cocky" as he is the only boy around and doesn't feel the need to prove himself as often.....

Thanks for your interest and prompt replies - this is the best forum I've ever posted to!!!

Peacocks Australia · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2002 9:14 am **Posts:** 310755

Debbieo4914, Yes it would help to seperate him every second day, but it would be better if initially it was longer say 3-4 days especially as he doesn't have any competition. Eggs can be fertile up to 6-9 days after mating with the average being 7 days. Roos do perform better when others and in close proximity, as they work on the adage "get in first" excuse the punt.

Thanks for the great feedback, very much appreciated.

Thanks
Peacocks Australia :lol:

snowbald · **Posted:** Sun Sep 09, 2007 7:31 pm

Hi debbieo4914,
Just my little bit --- I put my Roosters in with their mates for three days then remove them for other duties but they will be returned no later than 5 days to mate again. My roosters have visual contact with other roosters and I'm sure this stirs them up to go on and perform better,assuming everything is right with their health,diet etc.etc.
Best of luck,
Snowball :-D

Jeff Trescott · **Posted:** Mon Sep 10, 2007 4:09 pm

I'll have to watch mine to see, he does the job when we let him out in the Morning but i will have to count, that sounds a little strange doesn't it :oops:

Jeff

debbieo4914 · **Posted:** Mon Sep 10, 2007 9:55 pm

Thanks for that, guys. This gives me something to work with. I just have to explain to my husband that I "need" another rooster to offer some competition, after losing $75 on the last one that I gave away for free! :roll:

Luca · **Posted:** Tue Sep 11, 2007 2:18 pm

How well do two roosters get on in the same pen (with lots of free range space attached) if you have 20 or so chooks?

And is there twice as much crowing or do they encourage each other to crow more?

courta93 · **Posted:** Wed Sep 12, 2007 7:47 pm

Hi, Luca. We had two roosters in two seperate pens that were next to each other. Each rooster had say 8 chooks to himself, but they were always at each other and trying to fight, so we had to completely separated them both, but they still try to crow louder than each other! But both of those roosters had a nasty nature.

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