Cockerels with hens?

[Snadger]

I've now got 29 hens and three cockerels. The three large cockerels, a Faverolle,Light Sussex and Silver Sussex have been together since birth and have established a pecking order among themselves so they only have an odd squabble but it's usually just 'handbags'.......
They are in a rather large run and coop which could be better utilised with more birds.
I really fancy pairing off each cockerel with his own Harim of laydees!

The problems I envisage are that if for some reason it doesn't work out there is no way I will be able to put them back together again without them killing each other.
Another worry is that theoretically all my eggs could then be fertile. Will this make a difference to my customers and does it effect the egg quality?
No good having 29 eggs a day if no one wants them!
Another worry is that I am unsure about one of my Minorca's which hasn't crowed yet, but if it is a male, the cockerel I intend introducing (beautiful big bird but aggressive as hell!) will deffo kill it!
The planned split will give the Light Sussex 15 Laydees, the Faverolle 8 Laydees and the Silver Sussex 6 laydees. These numbers are dictated by the area's I have proposed for them.

Your views please!

[Eco-Chic]

My view is that there's gonna be a lot of rumpy pumpy in Snadgerland

Fertile eggs are edible and if they're fresh none of your customers will be any the wiser. It's 2/3 week old eggs that might be a bit of a giveaway with a little heart and veins.

Will you advertise the eggs as produce from shagged out happy hens

[Snadger]

....................Will you advertise the eggs as produce from shagged out happy hens

More like shagged out happy cockerels!

[CoraxAurata]

Fertile or not only matters to very few people - there is no difference to taste.

The youngster is better mixed now than later as he will accept the dominance of the elder bird more easily I can't belive your birds more aggressive than my shirty Marans and apart from odd scuffle peace reigns here (I admit to having a small bumpy period at the mo due to a great deal of change)- though my young roos do have room to get out of the way..... my fences work for keeping dogs away from chooks and ducks from chook food but most of the chooks ignore them except as perches.... fortunately I can supervise from my kitchen window.... and do find myself watching for hours a day

[RichmondHens]

Tell your customers the eggs are fertile (honesty being the best policy in my opinion). Most won't worry anyway. All my eggs are fertile and it doesn't put my customers off.

Re the cock/hen ratio, sounds ok, although putting one cock to 15 girls may result in not all being covered so if you intend to breed from him next year you will need to maybe reduce the hens he runs with so to be sure he is covering everybody. When there are just so many to choose from, the cocks tend to just cover their favourites (or the easier to catch ones!)

[Snadger]

Tell your customers the eggs are fertile (honesty being the best policy in my opinion). Most won't worry anyway. All my eggs are fertile and it doesn't put my customers off.

Re the cock/hen ratio, sounds ok, although putting one cock to 15 girls may result in not all being covered so if you intend to breed from him next year you will need to maybe reduce the hens he runs with so to be sure he is covering everybody. When there are just so many to choose from, the cocks tend to just cover their favourites (or the easier to catch ones!)

Do the eggs look or taste any different? The cockerel with 15 laydees has a mixture of younguns and geriatrics. This doesn't mean, because they are easier to catch, he'll probably breed with the geriatrics does it?

[RichmondHens]

Possibly to start with, until he becomes experienced. Then he'll just have who he wants!

The eggs will not look or taste any different.

[Eco-Chic]

Is viagra licensed for cockerels?

[Snadger]

Is viagra licensed for cockerels?

Yep............its called poultry 'spice'!

[Bramble-Poultry]

make sure that you give the cockerels the viagra with a generous coating of olive oil. If the tablet gets stuck in their crops they will have a stiff neck for about 5 hours

[MaureenHall]

Jennie!!!!!!!!!!! (or Mike!!!!!!!!) that's a trip to the norty step for you!








made me giggle though

[frias]

Yep............its called poultry 'spice'!

Oooooh, I'm just off to lace husbands porridge with poultry spice!

[Eco-Chic]

Frias, you've probably started a national run on Poulty Spice

[HayleyB]

make sure that you give the cockerels the viagra with a generous coating of olive oil. If the tablet gets stuck in their crops they will have a stiff neck for about 5 hours

NORTY NORTY NORTY Step whichwhoever you are

[its hilly]

Bramble, frias... ROFL.
Snadger if the eggs are less than a week (ish) old theyre identical, so dont panic, just sell em quick. Old guy near me whos had chooks for years told me not to put more than 5-8 hens with a young cockeral to be sure they were all fertilised, but said his older cocks ran with 10 hens. Mind he was breeding for showing, doesnt now, just got warrens for eggs.