So how about breeding with your chickens?
If you are considering expanding, or raising a few pullets for pleasure to sell on to make some money to help with feeding costs then one of the easiest ways to do this is by using a cockerel to provide you with fertile eggs from your own hens. There are however a number of considerations to consider to enable the process to go as smoothly as possible.
It is common these days due to space and cost considerations for people to use breeding trios or even pairs rather than running a cock with 8 or so hens. Whilst this is acceptable, the time that the cockerel can spend with the hens has to be limited as soon he will start to over work the girls causing feather loss on their backs and even wounds from his spurs. If your girls are looking a little bald, it is well worth checking under their wings for spur damage as this can go unnoticed. Poultry saddles can dramatically reduce the wear and tear on the feathers although they can slip to one side and don't always prevent the spur damage.
If you are interested in breeding show quality birds then 21st Century Poultry Breeding by Grant Brereton is vital reading and reference material.
Selection of Breeding Chickens
If you are breeding a specific breed, then it is only right to be selective of which cockerel you choose and which of your hens you use. Genetically, the traits of the parents will be passed down to the progeny so if you are breeding from poor quality stock you will be increasing the number of poor quality birds. Sadly, so many pure breeds have been diluted down by poor breeding and sometimes there are massive differences within a breed. Birds that have bowed legs or wry tails (point slightly to the left or right continuously) for example should not be used for breeding as these problems will just be passed on.
1. Breeders Health
 Birds should be examined for good health. With experience, general good health can be seen in a bird. The cockerel should be attentive to his girls and should court them from time to time, without bullying. Birds should have clear bright eyes, have a red comb without any blue edges and the birds should be bright and alert. Nostrils should be clear of mucus and breathing should be without any wheezing which could be a sign of respiratory problems. Check for lice, especially around the vent and under wings and check the vent for any discharge or scabbing.
A sound diet and good management of the birds during breeding is obviously essential not only to maintain good health but also to provide good hatchability and healthy chicks. A varied but balanced diet including greens is recommended with breeders or layers pellets having a high level of protein of around 16-20%.
2. Eggs
How many people buy a breed that have a published annual number of eggs in their poultry book, only to be disappointed that their hens hardly lay anywhere near that number? This especially applies to utility type birds that have been changed massively for showing purposes where shapes and feathering have changed over the years to meet the demands of show judges leaving factors such as egg and meat production behind. This is because of poor selection of the ‘good' egg layers. Let's face it how many people can say how many eggs their chickens lay each year? Well even harder, could you say which were the good layers and which the bad? Many serious breeders recommend using the first year of lay to record egg numbers then in the second year, the better layers can be considered to go in the breeding pen. Whilst this is not easy in the backyard, over the cause of a year, with a simple coloured leg ring and frequent observation of your hens, you soon get an idea of who is laying well and who is not.
Egg Selection
 Egg selection for hatching is very important and overlooked by many. Eggs for hatching should be checked for size, shape, colour and texture. Check the standard for as much information on your breed as possible but if you can't find information about their eggs, go to an online forum and ask for help from other breeders of this breed - for example Copper Black Maran should be a large size and dark brown in colour, Cream Legbar medium sized and blue, don't set eggs that are incorrect because firstly you are not helping the breed and secondly you are reducing hatchability. The better the egg quality, the better the hatchability. If you select weak eggs, this trait will be passed on down the generations and hatchability and chick quality will suffer.
Once you have the best of your birds selected, your breeding pen up and running, and the best quality eggs selected, you should allow the cockerel 10 days with the hens before collecting eggs for incubation so that they are fertile. If changing cockerels or removing hens from a larger run with other cockerels present, it is necessary to wait 14 days otherwise you can get fertilised eggs from the wrong cockerel. If hens have suitable nest boxes with clean bedding material, most eggs should be clean and not require any sort of washing prior to incubation.
Egg Storage
If eggs are stored before incubation, they should be kept in a cool place, away from bright sunlight and sources of heat. A garage or pantry is often the best option. They should be stored pointed end down and turned through 90 degrees twice a day. The easiest way to achieve this is by placing eggs on an egg tray or large egg box and placing an empty half dozen box under one side of the tray in the morning and the other side in the evening so that they are lifted by 45 degrees from horizontal one way, then the other. Eggs can be stored for a week without degrading hatchability too much.
Next is the 21 days of incubation which is covered elsewhere in the (chickens) incubation and hatching section here.
|
Keeping Chickens 
