Okay, a question from someone who is a recent transplant from the city...
We're going to try raising chickens for the eggs. There are just a couple of us, so I figure 3 chickens. (I'll have no problem finding takers for the extra eggs, I'm sure!)
I know that we don't need a rooster to get eggs, but I want to know how it works. If we were to "introduce" our chickens to a rooster, how long before we got fertilized eggs? Are roosters particular, or would the rooster get to know all of the chickens? (Or does it depend on the rooster?) How long after the introductions would the eggs they lay remain fertile? Do chickens have a time period where they are receptive, or are they able to "get pregnant" all of the time?
I guess I'm wondering if we ever wanted baby chicks, would it would be feasible to borrow a rooster for a few days.
Thank you for the education!
The birds and the bees and a rooster...
Introducing a rooster to my hen house has never been a problem. It might take the girls a little while to get used to having him around, but I have never seen a rooster that was "bashful". You should have fertile eggs very quickly. Are your chickens laying eggs now? I have always heard that if a hen doesn't have a rooster around, she will eventually just stop laying eggs anyway. Now whether that is true, I don't know but I think that maybe you should consider adding a rooster to family permanently.
Hi There. You should have fertile eggs the next day after the rooster is introduced. I would probably wait a few days so eggs already in the pipe line are laid. After fertilization a hen will be fertile for up to three weeks. I would borrow the rooster for 2 weeks and collect all the eggs for that period of time. Similarly, if you had a rooster but wanted to change him out with another rooster, you would have to wait three weeks before the sperm from the first rooster was gone and then the chances would be good the eggs were fertilzed by the second rooster alone.
Good luck.
Linda