Cockerels should not be introduced until pullets are not less than 18 weeks of age and younger males at the very least 24 weeks of age. Within the act of mating, the semen in the reproductive cells of the cockerel is ejaculated into the cloaca of the hen and travels up by the oviduct to unite with the egg yolk (ovum) shortly after it leaves the ovary.

Enough semen swims as much as fertilize between 12 and 14 eggs at one mating; this enables a younger vigorous cockerel to cover efficiently as many as 80 hens in a flock, though I don’t advocate this as customary procedure.

For out of doors breeding, good fertilization is achieved with one cockerel per 25 birds. If one hundred breeding hens are working collectively as on flock, it’s advisable to place in 5 or 6 cockerels, preferably those which have been reared together. It isn’t sensible to add any further cockerels at a later date should any loss be incurred: as these can be attacked and doubtless killed. By staring with one or [two] further cockerels in the pen, the breeder is able to run efficiently through the breeding season even if one or [two] cockerels die or lose conditions. Cockerels can always be taken out however never added.

On remark, except there are lots of hidden areas for all cockerels to work with out interference from each other, then the one on the high of the peck order will do the majority of the work, with the second in line masking the rest of the hens, Should too many cockerels be put in a pen of chickens, they are going to spend most of their time pushing each other off every time one tries to mount, and fertility will be adversely affected. Where birds are paired, one male to 1 feminine, fertility is usually very poor. It is much better to pen one male to six females or extra, for good incubation results.

Cockerels being reared together as stock cockerels will from about fourteen weeks of age being to claim their sexual authority, ensuing in the one at the backside of the peck order being habitually raped. If this bird is taken away, then the next shall be trodden and so on. To alleviate the problem, some breeders will put in an older male, one of the previous yr’s birds as this sometimes helps in retaining the younger birds beneath control. The other technique is to run [two] or three of the older hens not required for breeding with them. It not only prevents the cockerels from attacking one another, but provides them needed expertise before they’re launched to the breeding pen.

Finally, when a pen is made up of one male to several females, it is sometimes discovered that one or [two] chickens are usually not fertile. This may be as a result of they don’t seem to be suitable with this specific cockerel. The place multiple cockerel is used in a pen, providing pen numbers are adequate, this downside is diminished, if not resolved. The opposite alternative is to separate infertile hens, inserting them in one other pen with a distinct male, who could also be found to be compatible.

At Breedingchickens.org find information on [1] choosing a chicken breed, [2] rare breed chicken hatchery, and [3] chicken breed info.