Author Topic: fertility (Read 2788 times)

kalsi4654 · « **on:** May 11, 2010, 07:58:19 am »

I have one cock in with about 20 hens (he'a Welsummer, they are a right old mixture). The last few times whenever we've sat eggs (either in an incubator or under a broody) nothing has hatched, so I'm assuming they're not fertile. Is it likely the cock is infertile, or has he simply got too many wives? Should I try getting another cock, or just shut Valentino in with a carefully selected harem and see what happens? They usually free range over an acre or so.

Mic

shetlandpaul · « **Reply #1 on:** May 11, 2010, 09:02:17 am »

too many girls for one boy. 4 or 5 is about the right number. even if he was full of enegy thats a lot of servicing in a day every day the poor lad.

doganjo · « **Reply #2 on:** May 11, 2010, 09:09:10 am »

They don't tread every hen every day do they?

jameslindsay · « **Reply #3 on:** May 11, 2010, 09:19:57 am »

Annie my Charlie is an amorous cockerel, the second I let them out in the morning he is on top of one of them and I am sure he is going to die young either from exhaustion or because of his behaviour!!!

doganjo · « **Reply #4 on:** May 11, 2010, 10:46:08 am »

That's probably why he is so aggressive too - thinks you're going to steal his harem

Jamie seems to tread the girls when one goes past and invades his space, or if someone or something annoys him

dixie · « **Reply #5 on:** May 11, 2010, 12:32:28 pm »

I have 18 hens and just one cockerel, we've had eggs hatch and he never seems exhausted or unhappy!!
Does you cockerel 'dance' for his hens, I've heard they are not fertile if they dont dance!

Castle Farm · « **Reply #6 on:** May 11, 2010, 12:53:14 pm »

Select the 3 best hens you have there.Selected for what you want them to do. If it's for laying and you know which hen is producing the numbers and colours you want use her and the next best 2.
The Hens
The chicks out of them have the selection of genes for laying eggs in numbers and are good doers, ie they are using the available food to keep not only their bodily needs functioning, but enough over to produce eggs.

The Cock
In a perfect mating he should also be from a hen that was a good layer, as he will carry, in the male line, egg production or at least the genes from his mother.

The chicks you hatch will be better than if you just took eggs from a flock of mixed birds with different laying patterns. (Called breed grading).

dixie · « **Reply #7 on:** May 11, 2010, 01:18:50 pm »

So thats the scientific way to do it!

I just leave mine to get on with it, if I want more I let them go broody if i dont, I just chuck them off!!

kalsi4654 · « **Reply #8 on:** May 14, 2010, 05:05:44 pm »

Thanks everyone - he does the dance, and he too jumps on at least a couple of hens every morning when I let them out. He seems to prefer the ex-batts to the pure breeds for some reason - obviously likes a bit of rough!

I will pen him in with a select harem and see what happens.

Mic