There are common questions that just about everyone
has, so we have tried to list the most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) here. If you would like to submit another question,
feel free to fill out the form, and we will post it here with the answer for others to read.
Chicken, Poultry &
Fowl
Chickens
Do I need to get a rooster (roo)?
You only need to get a rooster (roo) if you plan to breed your hens. This is the only purpose
for having a rooster. Roosters do NOT "keep the hens in line", or encourage the hens to lay more eggs, to
name a couple myths.
Are roosters mean?
Just like any other animal, roosters are aggressive if they are constantly teased,
aggrivated, or attacked; regardless of how they are raised Generally speaking, if the animal has been raised by
hand - meaning handled a lot while it is growing up, there is a significatly reduced chance of the roo growing up to be aggressive.
All of our roos have been frequently handled while chicks and cockerels, and are able to be handled as adults.
I have decided to breed my hens. How many roos do I need?
Generally speaking, if the roo has "normal" fertility, he should be able
to cover 7 - 10 hens. If you have more than one roo, they can be housed together, however, the two roos will spar to
establish a literal pecking order. We have found that they seem to be less likely to spar if they had been raised together.
I replaced my roo with one that is the same breed as my hens since I want purebred
chicks. I have seen the new roo breed my girls, so I incubated the eggs. The chicks look like they are mixes of
my previous roo! What happend?!
Hens
are able to retain semen for 2-3 weeks. If you want chicks that are from your current roo, incubate the eggs you gather
after he has been in with your girls at least 3 weeks.
I bought some pullets since I want
table eggs. How long does it take before they start laying?
The hens will start laying at about 6 months of age. It could be a year before you get eggs
depending on when they were hatched out. If you get day-old pullets in January, you would be getting eggs beginning
June of the same year, and you might even get hatching chicks that same year in July or August. Adversely, if you get
day-old pullets in July, you will not see eggs until about April of the next year Since they will turn 6 months of age in
December with is the fall/winter moult, and will moult again in the spring round February/March.
