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Birds--General/CHICKEN BREEDING !!

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Expert: Abi - 7/30/2008


Question
- If the rooster has mated with the chicken does she get fat? how long does it take for the egg's to hatch?
- and if he (rooster) is in with four other hen's will he only choose one ? or try to mate with all of them ?

Answer
No, she won't get fat, she will stay they same size as normal, and just lay fertilised eggs. It takes approximately 21 days for a chicken egg to hatch.

He may have a favourite, but it is more likely he will 'cover' all of them, so they will all be laying fertile eggs. :)

Thanks for your question.

Birds--General

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Abi

Expertise

I CAN'T ANSWER QUESTIONS ON ANIMALS OTHER THAN CHICKENS/DUCKS/GEESE- I WILL TRY BUT THEY ARE NOT MY SPECIALIST SUBJECT- PLEASE DO NOT ASK ME QUESTIONS ABOUT BUDGIES, FINCHES, PARROTS, COCKATIELS OR OTHER 'EXOTIC' BIRDS. I can answer questions on pretty much all CHICKEN breeds, including fancy and bantam birds. I can give advice on how to get the best egg production, brightest yolk colours and darkest egg shell colours, breeding (using broody hens, not incubators), bird problems/illnesses. I can give advice on all aspects of basic chicken care but I breed chickens for my own pleasure only, I do not often show or sell my birds.

Experience

I own and breed a wide range of chickens, but I speciallise in cochins and crevecour bantams; crevecours have a large crest (an afro!) so I can answer questions on problems concerning them; cochins have feathered legs, which leads to no end of problems which I have experienced! I also own a large flock of domestic, rescued 'battery' hens, and a single maran hen, Hilda, who is the matriarch of her flock, so I can give advice on how to get the best colour of maran eggs!

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