Hens Not Impressed - Infertile Eggs?

[PeaEggThief]

Dumb question...

Most of my breeding pens are producing eggs, but my midnights/split midnights are constantly harassing the peacock I paired them with. I just collected an egg from their enclosure yesterday - and while I can say my other pens have had successful breedings, I've seen kinda poor performance from the midnight lad. He's been displaying, but the girls take pot shots at him whenever possible. Considering how little he seems to have impressed them... what are the odds these girls are laying fertile eggs?

Is it possible for a hen to lays eggs without being bred? Or did this midnight gent get into the hen's good graces just long enough to do the trick?

I've never seen such unimpressed hens before, but these two are notorious mean girls.

 

[KsKingBee]

Yes, hens are going to lay eggs whether they are fertilized or not. Being bred can cause them to lay more eggs but the choice of being bred is the females. Making pairings in the fall so they can get well acquainted over winter is always the best practice. Getting used to the environment they live in is also important. High Hybrid hens and full Green hens are notorious for bad behavior often killing other hens in the pen, some will kill the cock when not properly introduced, such as tossing them together after the hormones have started to flow.

 

[PeaEggThief]

I hope I am wrong... none of the interactions seem violent (no feather loss or cuts or anything) but there's a whole lot of putting him in his place from what I observe.

I usually break up my flock into breeding groups in late winter. During the cold months my pen is open and everyone can mingle - when the winter nears an end I herd them into areas and shut the sections off from one another. This cock was elsewhere in a bachelor group I set up before breeding last year - that probably explains the cold reception.

 

[KsKingBee]

I hope I am wrong... none of the interactions seem violent (no feather loss or cuts or anything) but there's a whole lot of putting him in his place from what I observe.

I usually break up my flock into breeding groups in late winter. During the cold months my pen is open and everyone can mingle - when the winter nears an end I herd them into areas and shut the sections off from one another. This cock was elsewhere in a bachelor group I set up before breeding last year - that probably explains the cold reception.

Agreed.