How long before cock does his stuff?

[Thurston Garden]

I have just relocated our Sasso cock to the field so he can do the deed with our Black Rock ladies. I would like to incubate a batch of eggs to build up the layers for next year.

How long should I wait until I can hold back eggs for the incubator? He has 23 hens to go round - perhaps this is too many, but I am not overly bothered about getting a high incubation success rate - 12 out of 40 would be fine.

[Stonehead]

I have just relocated our Sasso cock to the field so he can do the deed with our Black Rock ladies. I would like to incubate a batch of eggs to build up the layers for next year.

How long should I wait until I can hold back eggs for the incubator? He has 23 hens to go round - perhaps this is too many, but I am not overly bothered about getting a high incubation success rate - 12 out of 40 would be fine.

I'd give him a separate house and run with the six best layers. Give him a week, maybe two and you're away.

As for finding the best layers, the most effective and efficient is trap nesting. The next most effective is to have a couple of single-hen houses and rotate the hens through them (two weeks in summer, two in winter). Tag or ring all the hens and keep accurate records.

There is a third method, which causes much hilarity. Get half a dozen botles of food dye and six cheap hand sprayers, then fill each sprayer with a dye and veg oil solution. Spray the vents of six hens you believe are good layers, using a different colour for each. Then count the coloured eggs! (Use veg oil, not water as water rubs off too quickly.) And yes, the method does work to a fair degree.

[magenta flame]

How long before cock does his stuff?..................................hang on I'll ask my husband


Sorry saw it and couldn't resist.

[Thurston Garden]

By way of an update, the Sasso Cockerel was in with the BR hens for 3 weeks. I held back 30 of the best/brown eggs and put them in the incubator.

I candled them yesterday and am pleased to report that out of 30, 26 are fertile!

Fingers crossed.

[9ball]

Good lord...hats off to the cockerel