How do you know

[RubyNala97]

Thanks for the responses. I'm thinking about buying an incubator and attempting a small hatch of my own. Will I regret a small 3 egg incubator?

Yes! As others have said, you will regret it. I purchased a10 egg incubator. I only wanted to hatch 6 eggs. Well I got 7, 2 were not fertile, 2 died in the first 3 days. So that left me with only 3, and who knows if they make it to hatch. I've already ordered more eggs and i already wish i had a bigger incubator. Go with a bigger one! Good luck!

 

[corewassen87]

Yes! As others have said, you will regret it. I purchased a10 egg incubator. I only wanted to hatch 6 eggs. Well I got 7, 2 were not fertile, 2 died in the first 3 days. So that left me with only 3, and who knows if they make it to hatch. I've already ordered more eggs and i already wish i had a bigger incubator. Go with a bigger one! Good luck!

Is there a certain age a rooster needs to be to be able to fertilize an egg?

 

[Drewnkat]

The roo needs to have hit rooster puberty, so.. crowing, mounting, and that's going to be a range for each individual bird. Also first mating attempts can be a bit awkward til the guy gets his balance, and the ladies accept his advances. Our rooster was interested pretty young, but the hens wouldn't go for it until they were mature enough to lay eggs (it was only a couple weeks, but the poor guy was a bit frustrated trying to figure out what to do).

I'd say watch him to see if he's successfully mating, and then after a week, check a few eggs for bull's-eye spots. If you're consistently seeing fertile eggs from your hens, you know he's been doing his job. We waited about 6 months after our hens started laying to try incubation, and since we'd been eating the eggs and seeing fertile spots on them, we were pretty sure things were good in that department.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

The roo needs to have hit rooster puberty, so.. crowing, mounting, and that's going to be a range for each individual bird. Also first mating attempts can be a bit awkward til the guy gets his balance, and the ladies accept his advances. Our rooster was interested pretty young, but the hens wouldn't go for it until they were mature enough to lay eggs (it was only a couple weeks, but the poor guy was a bit frustrated trying to figure out what to do).

I'd say watch him to see if he's successfully mating, and then after a week, check a few eggs for bull's-eye spots. If you're consistently seeing fertile eggs from your hens, you know he's been doing his job. We waited about 6 months after our hens started laying to try incubation, and since we'd been eating the eggs and seeing fertile spots on them, we were pretty sure things were good in that department.

I had an early maturer...lol He was trying to ride the girls a good two months before they were laying...lol I kept telling him to leave them alone he wasn't even doing it right, then I decided after seeing him fumble that he could probably use the practice so I left him alone...lol

 

[Drewnkat]

Quote: Oh my, this cracked me up! Poor guy. I know he obviously figured it out eventually, but they are just too funny at that awkward "not quite fully grown" stage.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Oh my, this cracked me up! Poor guy. I know he obviously figured it out eventually, but they are just too funny at that awkward "not quite fully grown" stage.

Oh he sure did. I have 100% fertility in the eggs that I have been using to cook with...lol Of course I have two roos and only 5 hens. I am increasing my flock to even that out a bit. I've been keeping a close eye on the girls to make sure they aren't being "over ridden"

with the unbalenced ratio. Showing signs of over mating and such. So far so good. The first sign of over breeding and I'll pull one of the boys, or seperate and give each one a couple because they each have their own favorites and the girls have their own favorites as well...lol I should be adding 3 more here as soon as my sister brings me her silkies, and then it's waiting until the girls from my last hatch age up and can be moved in.