Okay, so I am sure this is a dumb question, but one of my chickens has matured into a cockerel! I bought them as 14 week old pullets, to become point of lay chickens! I don't mind having a cockerel, but does this mean the eggs will be different? Will they have blood spots in them, or anything like that? My chickens have just started laying, I don't want to find yucky bits in the eggs because they are now being fertilised by the cockerel. Any advice would be appreciated, thank you.

firlization won't make a difference between firtilized eggs and unfertilized eggs exept fertile eggs produce chicks. Having a roo. is nice because he will protect his girls and if you ever want to get chicks you won't need to buy eggs or chicks. Roosters make nice pets and it is entertaining to watch him interact with his hens (i'm not reffering to fertilizing eggs). Chickens are realy fun and rooster just add to the fun of having them. I hope it helps.

YoYo

Thanks for the info. I havent done much research into the differences between the types of eggs, because I never thought it would be an issue for me! In the UK we tend to call female chickens - chickens! And male chickens are called cockerels. We only tend to use the words "hens" and "pullets" to differentiate between chickens that have had their first laying season, and those that haven't. I am relieved about the egg thing though, because my husband started saying the cockerel would have to go, but I have got fond of him, and, by the way, he was originally named "Suzanne", but I suppose we will now have to call him "A boy named Sue"!

Our rooster is named Flower. We thought he was a she until he became vocal.

A little lesson learned with my rooster I will pass on... Make sure you give him lots of attention, as in handling. Lack of attention has, I beleive caused Flower to be a bit agressive around me and my children. He was a pretty tame chick, but when he went out to the pen he got less attention, and became very testy when we get too close and try to handle the hens.

I agree with YoYo, he is hysterical too.

Hi, I just seperated three buff brahma hens and a buff brahma rooster from a large mixed flock where they have been hanging out for about 10 mos. How long shall I wait to make sure I get pure bred chicks from these hens? Shall I wait a week , a month or can I ever be sure? Any info appreciated.

thanks Alan

Alan, Wait two, better still, three weeks, and you should be okay. CJR

I have some Barred Plymouth Rocks and I want to breed
them. But the rooster might mate with all the other
hens and I would have a bunch of baby chickens. So I want some adivce about what I should do for breeding them.thanks

Anon...Are all of your hens and the rooster, Barred Plymouth Rocks? Regardless of breed or breeds of the hens, the rooster WILL mate with all of them (that's what roosters do!)--but he will have hens that he will cover most often, if there are too many hens. How many hens do you have? How old are your birds, and are the hens laying now?

You will gather all your eggs every day. I date mine with pencil,keep them in egg cartons in the basement. so I can set the freshest ones, when I am ready to hatch some. You will only need 10 eggs for each hen that MAY set. Each week, I bring up the oldest eggs( 2 weeks old), put them in the refrigerator for home use. You get to choose the eggs you want to hatch and how many you want to hatch. You may or may not have hens that will "set", in which case, you will have to use an incubator to hatch any chicks at all! You start all the eggs at the same time, so they hatch at the same day--21 days after starting! Make your plans, and be prepared for the care of the chicks SEPARATED from your flock--you will have 21 days after starting the eggs, to get the feed and equipment ready for chicks! It is always exciting! CJR

I have 5 Barred Plymouth Rocks all are hens but I am planning on getting a rooster. My friend has one and does not want it any more so I asked him for It and he said I could have It and It will be a Barred Plymouth Rock. And yes my hens are still laying. And my hens are about 3 years old. Thanks for the Info.

Anon. Just eat all your lovely eggs until about a week or two after you get the rooster. Age makes no difference, but count on the hens being pretty upset when the rooster arrives in their pen! It will be a short time, maybe 2 weeks, before you can count on fertile eggs, that will hatch! Good luck. CJR