threes a crowd??

[Peebels]

Hello everyone,

wanted to ask what may be a dumb question...

I noticed while look around at various different chicken breeders that most of them offer discounts for a 'trio' consisting of one cock and two hens. Is this intended as a 'grow your own' (forgive the pun) type offer or is there some other advantage I am missing? Am I wrong in my assumption that if you had a cock present you would not be able to eat the eggs?

can anyone put me in the light?

Peebs

[Nicos]

I think it's a nice way of avoiding culling the cocks!!!

Your neighbours might like to cull you though if you get a cock and he wakes them up at 3am every day!!!

You can certainly eat fertilized eggs- but if you want to sell them- you'll need to warn peeps- esp if you don't collect the eggs daily- in case one has started to develop.
I've only had one so far- and the mom had been sat on it a few days- so I sort of expected it!

3 or more is a good number if you get gals though- if you only get 2 gals and one dies- the other will fret.

If you live somewhere away from other peeps- then having a cockerel is lovely ( I have 2 brothers) as they warn the gals of any dangers- esp if they free range.
Hope that helps???

[Peebels]

ow, how sweet of em!

I suspected getting ride of the cocks might be a factor in it. Im surprised no one has bread a breed that produces predominately more hens than cocks.

How well do the cocks get on with each other? Can you run 'bachelor' flocks like they do with other animals?

If/when i get any they will be going on an allotment site well away from any residential area so ill not have to worry about noise complaints etc. Im working on the four-six number at the moment. Really want to rescue some ex-batts but at the same time i really want get some of the other interesting breeds about.

[Nicos]

Mine free range - I have 4 gals, 2 cocks and 3 babies which they produced.We are intending buying in 3 other gals.
The brothers were brought up together- and although they spar from time to time, Paxo knows Au Vin is 'ze big boss'.
I'd be surprised if strange cocks would get on...it's a competition!!!

I'm sure you'd be fine with a cockerel in your case.
The boys also call over to the gals if they find a fat juicy grub- and let them eat it instead of gobbling it down for themselves!

[Peebels]

so providing that the eggs have not been sat on will they look the same, fertile or not? It would not bother me in the slightest but my wife is very much on the squeamish side and if she found anything that did not look egg like she would have a heart attack! That said, she does not really do that much with eggs?

In the case of a mixed flock with cocks in, would it be an issue if the flock had one or more chickens who are prone to broodiness? I mean are they likely to start sitting on all the eggs?

[Nicos]

I've never had an egg which doesn't look 'normal' inside.

You'd be best to look up about certain breeds when it come to broodiness- I have French Cayennes- they are bantams- and once in the mood will try and hatch anything!!!
I'm also planning on getting Marans- which I understand can be just as motherly!!!

No idea what would be best for you.
I don't think having a cockerel makes any difference tas o whether they want to become broody or not. ( but I may be wrong!!)

[RichmondHens]

As long as you collect the eggs on a daily basis, there will not be an issue, and yes they will essentially look the same when you break them. Occasionally you can get blood spots on the yolk which some people mistake for an embryo, but they are in fact just ruptured blood vessels and nothing to worry about, and occur in unfertile eggs too.

A broody hen will sit on anything it can get, but this doesn't mean you have to let it. Just keep the taking the eggs away, eventually they will get bored of sitting. Once they are settled in and incubating a clutch they will not lay, so if you are keeping them to produce eggs you will have to force them out of broodiness with a "sin bin" - essentially a raised cage with a wire bottom which is uncomfortable for them to sit on. Three or four days in there (with layers pellets and NO grain, and water of course) usually does the trick.

[Peebels]

its all starting to make some sense now

when removing potentially fertile eggs is it necessary to keep them below are particular temperature? I assume from that fact that you can buy futile eggs via mail order that they need to be taken 'above' are particular temperature to 'activate' growth?

[Nicos]

They're fine for a few days without being warmed up-sort of suspended animation and then mom puffs up, heats up and then starts to heat up all the eggs at the same time- so they hatch on the same day (ish)

[Peebels]

its all quite... well amazing really! And to think us humans cant even get a train to run on time!

[Snadger]

I tend to shy away from trios as they always appear to be the same age, signifying they are from the same hatch, making them brothers and sisters!
It's usually stated that the cockerel is not related.....but how can you prove or dismiss this?
I would rather buy cockerels and hens seperately so I KNOW they aren't related! (Or better still, hatch your own!)

[Peebels]

would really like to hatch my on but im having trouble convincing the wife, she is worried about the cat and what we would do with all the chicks etc? Im going to keep trying though

[Jardiniere]

a friend offered me one of his male chickens (trying not to be pornographic here) but when he realised i only had three hens he said that it was not enough, they would be pestered too often!!!!

[RichmondHens]

It's great to hatch your own but you always have to bear in mind what to do with the excess cocks - remember half your hatch will be male. If you cannot bear the thought of raising them to eat, think very carefully about what you will do with them. There are a lot of unwanted cocks out there ..................

[jbalmer]

I bought 3 gals, 1 died now i have 2, so glad i bought 3!