Rooster fertility and molt

[chickenmomma16]

I feel like I’ve been posting a lot... And I wasn’t sure where this question fits in the forum but here it goes!

How long does a rooster usually stay infertile during molt?

Is it usually that he just doesn’t feel like mating (who would when your a walking pin cushion!) or is it he is actually shooting blanks?
My current rooster is already dropping feathers here and there. Just wondering when I should start seeing blank eggs.

 

[Mrs. K]

Well I think that they naturally slow down with winter and molt coming on. However, a bred hen, stays bred for several week.

I really don't check my eggs in the winter, as I don't plan to set eggs then. But I still find fertilized eggs, that I randomly see. In fact, I would expect most of the to be fertilized, even though I am not 100% sure. I don't think they shoot blanks, if they are mounting then they are breeding. If they are shooting blanks, I would assume they are always shooting blanks.

However, if you check your eggs as you cook, keep a tally sheet on the counter, you can generally apply that percentage to the eggs you want to hatch. Of course not every egg will hatch even if they are fertilized. Sometimes they just quit developing.

Each rooster will be affected differently. Some birds molt hard and fast, some birds molt long and slow. But I have really never noticed it affecting my roosters sevice.

MRs K

 

[chickenmomma16]

Well I think that they naturally slow down with winter and molt coming on. However, a bred hen, stays bred for several week.

I really don't check my eggs in the winter, as I don't plan to set eggs then. But I still find fertilized eggs, that I randomly see. In fact, I would expect most of the to be fertilized, even though I am not 100% sure. I don't think they shoot blanks, if they are mounting then they are breeding. If they are shooting blanks, I would assume they are always shooting blanks.

However, if you check your eggs as you cook, keep a tally sheet on the counter, you can generally apply that percentage to the eggs you want to hatch. Of course not every egg will hatch even if they are fertilized. Sometimes they just quit developing.

Each rooster will be affected differently. Some birds molt hard and fast, some birds molt long and slow. But I have really never noticed it affecting my roosters sevice.

MRs K

Thank you!
This guy I’d assume is going to go slow with his molt. He’s dropping a few large feathers a day and he’s working on his flight feathers right now. I have been setting All of his eggs so I’m not cracking them open. And I will continue to do so until the hens stop or the rooster stops whatever comes first! That’s why I asked about molt and fertility. I’m curious when I’ll be forced to stop hatching.

 

[Mrs. K]

Wow - how many chickens do you have, how many do you hatch?

What percentage of hatch have you been getting?

 

[chickenmomma16]

Wow - how many chickens do you have, how many do you hatch?

What percentage of hatch have you been getting?

I bought a breeding quad of Blue Wheaten Ameraucanas early this year. I wasn’t getting a very good hatch rate because I could only set every 3 weeks. Out of 20-35 eggs I was getting only 8-13 to hatch. I bought a cabinet incubator last month so I can now set every 2 weeks (hopefully eliminating the stale egg issue). So far my first setting is good with only the older eggs not developing. But I have 19 developing due next week (first batch in the new ‘bator!)! The previous owner was getting about 75% hatch rate with close to 10 hens.

 

[Mrs. K]

What do you do with them all?

 

[chickenmomma16]

What do you do with them all?

Right now I’m hatching for myself and someone else. I just want to have enough birds that I can pick the best quality ones. I already have 6 cockerels that will be sent to auction. I’m lucky to have a large auction 10 minutes away. I can sell any pet quality Wheaten Ameraucana pullets pretty quick. Next year, I plan on selling chicks/eggs after I’m done hatching for myself. I don’t plan on doing hatching this late in the year next year. I want to have a life too!

 

[aart]

I would guess that slowing fertility has more to do with his activity level which would depend on how well he feels while molting...as long as the hens are producing he would still be mating them.
Also has to do with nutrition at the time, takes some extra protein to grow new feathers.
Overall nutrition can affect fertility at any time of year...for both hens and cock/erels.
Many breeders/hatchers boost nutrition well before collecting eggs to hatch.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Holding the eggs for three weeks is too long. If your storage conditions are excellent you might get an occasional one to hatch but I would expect that to be really rare. Even holding them two weeks is risky, though if your storage conditions are ideal it could be OK. You might write the date on the egg when it is laid and compare hatch rate to how long they were stored before you set them to find your sweet spot for how long you can store them. For my conditions one week was fine but longer than that and it got iffy.

I've only set eggs once when the rooster was molting and got a pretty good hatch. I don't consider that a good database, not enough samples for it to mean much.

Several years ago I saw a thread on here where breeders were discussing this. If they are going to show in a certain show they wanted their birds to be a certain age. That meant they needed to hatch in winter. It was a time of year discussion, molting was a part but there were probably other factors. I can't remember all the details. There was no agreement. Some said hatch rates were no different, others said they saw a large decline. I don't know if that was because different roosters were affected differently by the molt, the shorter days, or something else or because something else was affecting hatch rate, maybe collecting eggs in really cold weather.

 

[Mrs. K]

On re-reading your question. The hen molt will STOP egg production, and for several weeks, unless they are pullets. However, pullet eggs are not really big enough to get a good hatch either, or so I have been told.

And I will continue to do so until the hens stop or the rooster stops whatever comes first!