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Yes, chickens can start to brood with no rooster present. This is one of the things that farmers look for in their laying flocks. This behavior makes for a good chicken and mother hen, but a poor laying hen. These chickens eat as much as the others and don't lay eggs so they get culled out of (removed from) the laying flocks. These are the birds that wind up in the farmer's wife's cooking pot.
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∙ 15y ago
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∙ 13y agoyes but the frequency depends upon the breed. Some breeds that have been used as layers for centuries have had broodiness pretty much bred out of them. Others, such as Silkies, are born to be mommies and will set on golfballs, duck eggs, rocks or empty nests fairly often trying to hatch something. it is hormonal and chickens usually lay a "clutch" of eggs until she feels she has enough to hatch but not so many that it is stressful. This will be over a few weeks. she then goes broody and sees if they are fertile. However, if you collect the eggs she ignores this fact and when she feels she has laid enough she goes into the broody trance The reason why they don't set upon the first egg then keep laying is she wants them to hatch all on the same day and they will remain fresh and undeveloped until she goes broody and keeps them at the right temp and turns them with her beak
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Does chicken lay eggs without rooster?
NoAnd it's called "Laying" not "Laying on"Cockerels don't lay eggs, so improve your question by saying "Is there a breed of hen that does not lay eggs.I think he/she was asking if there is a breed of chicken that doesn't go broody, and the answer to that is yes alot of chickens have been bred not to go broody (ex.leghorn)
Do you have to remove a rooster from the coop when the baby chicks hatch?
After the rooster has mated with a hen the sperm packet is good for about 10 days. Unlike most creatures the birds do not need fertilizing each time, for each egg. The sperm is stored in the cloaca of the hen for up to 10 days and then needs replenishing. If the rooster has died or otherwise left the flock his progeny may go on for a few more days as the hens eggs will still be fertile until the sperm packet is depleted.
Does the chicken have to be broody before you put the rooster in?
No. The rooster makes the hen's eggs fertile. From your question, it sounds like you want a hen to hatch some eggs. If so, some breeds or crosses are far more likely to go broody than others. Also, particularly if the chickens are in a pen/run rather than free ranging, a rooster will discourage broodiness rather than encourage it. A rooster also reduces egg production - in both cases its because he chases the hens a little to control them and mate with them, so egg production drops.
Is 4 roosters too many for 6 hens?
Better to say 4 roosters is too many for 4 roosters. The 6 hens can wait a bit and soon there will be one rooster a-go-go, one in the hereafter, one running away, and one squating on the ground. The hens could deal with 6 roosters, but the big boy a go-go won't stand for more than him with his flock. actually 1 rooster needs 5 hens to be satisfied other wise roosters will fight One rooster will service (fertilize the eggs of) up to 6 hens. If you have more than 6 hens, you will need another rooster. 4 roosters on 6 hens is not good. The roosters will fight and the hens will be exhausted running from all the roosters.
How many eggs does a hen lay when she is sitting?
An individual hen will go"broody" and will gather a clutch of eggs to brood. These will not always be her own eggs. She will steal them from other hens by rolling them into the nest she has chosen. Unless the hen is broody she will lay her egg and leave the nest announcing loudly to the rest of the flock what she has accomplished. Hens can go broody whether there is a rooster in the flock or not, so no, not just fertile eggs trigger the brooding instinct.
Why hens sit on their eggs if they dont have rooster to fertilize?
Because it is a natural instinct for them to go broody
Is a hen less apt to sit on an unfertilized egg?
No. A broody hen is a broody hen and will sit on golf balls once the urge to nest takes her. Hens do not instinctively know if the eggs they are brooding are fertile or not. Hens in a chicken coop without a rooster among the flock will still go broody.
Does chicken lay eggs without rooster?
NoAnd it's called "Laying" not "Laying on"Cockerels don't lay eggs, so improve your question by saying "Is there a breed of hen that does not lay eggs.I think he/she was asking if there is a breed of chicken that doesn't go broody, and the answer to that is yes alot of chickens have been bred not to go broody (ex.leghorn)
If there is a rooster in with chooks how do you make the chooks clucky and hatch their eggs?
If you are asking how to make the hens go broody, then there is no surefire way. To encourage broody-ness, you should put fake eggs in her favourite laying box.
Should a rooster be laying on the nest and obstructing the hens from laying?
Well yes. Sometimes the roosters sit on the nest to encourage the hen to go broody. But roosters don't lay!
Do you have to remove a rooster from the coop when the baby chicks hatch?
After the rooster has mated with a hen the sperm packet is good for about 10 days. Unlike most creatures the birds do not need fertilizing each time, for each egg. The sperm is stored in the cloaca of the hen for up to 10 days and then needs replenishing. If the rooster has died or otherwise left the flock his progeny may go on for a few more days as the hens eggs will still be fertile until the sperm packet is depleted.
Does the chicken have to be broody before you put the rooster in?
No. The rooster makes the hen's eggs fertile. From your question, it sounds like you want a hen to hatch some eggs. If so, some breeds or crosses are far more likely to go broody than others. Also, particularly if the chickens are in a pen/run rather than free ranging, a rooster will discourage broodiness rather than encourage it. A rooster also reduces egg production - in both cases its because he chases the hens a little to control them and mate with them, so egg production drops.
How many days can you safely gather eggs?
In general a person should be able to safely gather eggs every day of the year. The only reasons not to gather eggs areAll your hens are broody and you want the new chicks,It would not be safe to go out in severe weather,You have a rooster who attacks you, in which case you should kill the rooster.
Is 4 roosters too many for 6 hens?
Better to say 4 roosters is too many for 4 roosters. The 6 hens can wait a bit and soon there will be one rooster a-go-go, one in the hereafter, one running away, and one squating on the ground. The hens could deal with 6 roosters, but the big boy a go-go won't stand for more than him with his flock. actually 1 rooster needs 5 hens to be satisfied other wise roosters will fight One rooster will service (fertilize the eggs of) up to 6 hens. If you have more than 6 hens, you will need another rooster. 4 roosters on 6 hens is not good. The roosters will fight and the hens will be exhausted running from all the roosters.
How many eggs does a hen lay when she is sitting?
An individual hen will go"broody" and will gather a clutch of eggs to brood. These will not always be her own eggs. She will steal them from other hens by rolling them into the nest she has chosen. Unless the hen is broody she will lay her egg and leave the nest announcing loudly to the rest of the flock what she has accomplished. Hens can go broody whether there is a rooster in the flock or not, so no, not just fertile eggs trigger the brooding instinct.
How do you make a duck go broody?
It depends on the breed, some breed of ducks are more broody than others... There is nothing you can do to make a duck go broody and you can't stop a duck from being broody. When your duck starts to lay eggs don't take them away leave the eggs untouched when there are about 8-12 eggs laid in her nest she might go broody and incubate them until they hatch, while some other ducks will lay their eggs any place like in the middle of the garden, on the pen's floor etc,etc.... A broody duck will make a nest in a well hidden place and lay the eggs there.
Is serama a good broody hen?
Hello Serama chicken are the one of the best broody hens ..they can go brooday 2-4 times a year...but they are so tinny they only can set on 4-6 eggs...
