Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
you see, do the same thing. This will let the flock know that you are in charge. As they get
older, you will still have to reinforce your dominance. It is fine to pick up a rooster and pet
him. But a rooster should not be eager to approach you. If he does, he will think that he is the
top chicken not you. It will not hurt to take an occasional swat at him if he seems too comfort-
able with you.
Do not let the rooster eat before the hens. Doing so will give him the cue that he is dominant
in the flock, when in reality, you should be the dominant member (in his mind) of the flock. In
essence, you are top rooster and need to allow the hens to eat before him, the less-dominant
rooster. If he tries to come to the feeder first, push him away so the hens eat first. After the
hens are eating, it is fine if the rooster begins to eat. If a rooster tries to breed a hen in your
presence, push him off and chase him away. It is the same concept as eating; he has to wait
until you leave to be able to breed the hens.
The main thing when it comes to roosters is that you have to be on guard at all times. If these
techniques do not work, or if you are unable to be consistent in asserting your dominance, it
might be safer for the rooster to be destined for the soup bowl.
Broody hens
An egg-laying hen will produce eggs every one to two days. The average egg-laying cycle
takes about 25 to 26 hours to complete. Right before a hen lays an egg, her hormone levels
rise. This gives the hen her “homemaking” initiative, and she seeks out a nest and lays her
egg. Most of the time, the hormone level drops, and the hen leaves her nest and will return
when she is ready to lay her next egg. Sometimes, though, the hormone level does not drop as
quickly. This happens more frequently in winter when not as much daylight is available and
makes the hen want to sit on her eggs. As each day progresses, the hen leaves the nest less
and less, instead collecting her eggs and sitting on them. This is known as going broody. Hens
then like to wait until they have laid about ten eggs, which can take about ten days if they lay
one egg a day. Hens do this because they think they are going to hatch the eggs, and instinct-
ively, they want their chicks to hatch at the same time, which is 21 days later.
When a hen is broody, she becomes territorial. She may make low, growling noises if she is
approached or if she feels her eggs are in danger. Mother hen may even peck at you. She will
leave her nest only for food and drink, and some hens do not even do that, which may be dan-
gerous to their health. They may defecate on the eggs, which you will need to clean if you in-
tend to hatch them or eat them. It is not unusual for eggs to be dirty when you collect them.
