I'm confused

[Wrigley62]

Good morning everyone,

Things are going pretty well, three weeks ago we got our first egg and now we're up to eight eggs a day. That's half the flock, the other half......well, I'm gonna have to get out the whips and battery cables if they don't start laying soon

My question is.....I have a Buff Orpington Roo that is sixteen weeks old, should he be mating at this age? I've only seen him do this once. He has been pretty physical with one of the other girls (pulling neck feathers. Kind of violent), but that didn't look the same as it did last night, actually I think I heard some Luther Vandross being played in the background 17 . I should also note that the one he was "mating" with is a sixteen week old Golden Comet. She's not laying yet, atleast I don't think she is.

Something else I really don't understand is, do they (Roo's) have to mate everyday for a hen to have a fertilized egg? Or does one time last for a couple of days? How long is he on top of her for? Last night it was only for about three seconds. I thought he was too young for that stuff. He's not even crowing yet, nothing, doesn't even try. I'm not complaining, I was just planning on him making all kind of noises by now.

Well thanks again, I'll talk to you soon,

Wrigley

 

[chrismahon]

The male shoots his sperm into the females vent and she moves it by muscle contraction along the ovaduct. It lasts about 17 days so if you want to mate your hens with another cockerel they need to be isolated for 3 weeks before he goes in and then the eggs will be fertile a week later. You can shortcut that by some days.

It takes seconds to complete the act Wrigley. So three is enough if he is experienced and his aim is good. You will see it shot in the general area while he practices, then you'll see nothing released. If he is mating with a hen she will lay within the week. He and she know she's ready and the eggs are being produced but haven't reached the end yet -takes 5 days to a week.

16 weeks is early for a Buff Orpington, but if he is fertile and accurate it will be enough.

 

[Wrigley62]

Chris, so she will lay fertilized eggs for the next 17 +/- days just from that one "encounter"??

Now if he's mating with other hens that are already laying do I need to refrigerate those eggs right away?

What about the crowing or lack there of? Shouldn't he be drowning the neighborhoood with his lovely voice by now?? He's getting to be a big boy. From what I've heard, he should have been crowing by now. Again.....I'm not complaining, just wondering.

Thanks

Wrigley

 

[chrismahon]

Why refrigerate them Wrigley, they won't go off any quicker than unfertilised eggs. Just keep them cool and humid. We store ours in the cellar at 80% humidity and 12 degrees centigrade. Put them in the fridge and they dry out. The 'embryo' (just a few cells at this stage) can't develop significantly further until they reach incubation temperatures -research 'blastoderm'.

 

[Marigold]

I always keep mine in the ridge, in an eggbox, and they're fine, never dry out. Mind you they get eaten within 4-5 days at most. No point keeping your own hens if the eggs are any older than that!

 

[Wrigley62]

Thanks guys!!
I didn't know that there was so much to know about keeping chickens.
As of today, Sunday August 12th we are getting 10 eggs a day.

 

[Marigold]

When I saw that video you posted I wondered what you would do with all,the eggs when they were all in lay.
What do you do with them?

 

[Wrigley62]

Thanks Marigold,
I'm so glad you watched the video, I just had to share it with my "Chicken People" friends. Neither Terri nor I had any idea that she would get so attached to them. She really does love them.
As far as the eggs go, I have a step son that eats 6-8 eggs at a sitting. I give some to friends and I probably eat only a dozen a week. When they all start to lay......well, then I put a sign out at the road or I'll check with our local "Mom and Pop" stores. We also have a "Food Bank" not too far from here for the less fortunate, I'll donate a few dozen there every week.

Thanks again, talk to you soon.

Wrigley

 

[Chuck]

In a situation such as yours where the flock have so much freedom, nature will take it's course. The males will crow and mate when they're ready and the hens and pullets will generally only allow themselves to be mated when they are ready.

 

[Wrigley62]

Thanks Chuck

Well they must be ready because "Charlie" is one BUSY boy :shock: 07 . Besides eating, I think that's his other favorite thing to do! It seems he is always on top of some one.

I want to keep him, the neighbors don't have a problem with him so, now to convince Terri.

 

[chrismahon]

Our 'proper pet' chicken is a Buff Orpington cock Wrigley. He lives in the house and my wife cuddles him every night for an hour -he falls asleep and snores. Orpingtons are normally very placid (unless they see another cockerel) so I'm sure he will mellow with age -but will still 'rape' the hens!

 

[Wrigley62]

That's too funny Chris!! I know Terri will want to know how you are able to keep him in the house. That's all she has been talking about lately. So, any advice you can give her will be greatly appreciated. In fact she will probably get on here and thank you personally.

 

[chrismahon]

Well they can't be 'house trained' so you need solid floors, patience, toilet roll and disinfectant plus earplugs in the morning. He was separated as a chick from two Legbars because he got annoyed with them snuggling into his fluffy feathers all the time. So he has lived on his own and therefore with us because we never had a very secure spare coop, he got lonely and we used to bring him in at night. Then when he got a coop he was then extremely ill with ILT and IB so he came in. Then when he was better we bought him two girls and he went 'mad rapist' and we had to separate him again. He had too many flocks (important point as the squabbles occur when they run together) to control and ended up with a sprained foot with all the running about sorting fights. Never a spare coop so he ended up sleeping in the kitchen. He liked cuddles and used to wait by the Orchard gate to be collected. We took him on a one week camping holiday to Wales and carried him everywhere in a wicker basket -much to the surprise of fellow tourists but not the locals. Apparently one lady walked her duck on the beach every morning and another carried her pet Buff Orpington hen around town when she shopped. He is well known by the passing canal trade. He stands on the doorstep, crows to attract custom (egg buyers) and gets his photograph taken hundreds of times in a season.

Guess they key to it is start very young Wrigley- 2 weeks in our case (he used to squeeze into Rosie's sleeve and fall asleep). You won't know whether you have a hen or a cockerel until much later, 26 weeks and one day in our case!