Can a chicken lay eggs without a rooster: is it necessary or not for egg production, why and how much

People who plan to raise hens wonder if a hen can lay eggs without a rooster. This is a rather complicated question that baffles even some poultry farmers. To answer it, you need to familiarize yourself with the features of laying eggs and mating chickens.

Why do laying hens have a male

Experienced chicken breeders recommend having at least one rooster for a dozen birds. This is done so that the herd feels better and does not create stressful situations. If there is a rooster in the hen house, the hens will lay better and get sick less often. One cockerel is enough to fertilize 15-20 young hens.Some give birth to several roosters, but this is not worth doing. A large number of male birds negatively affects the he alth of chickens.

There are also several factors against keeping females with roosters:

• Increased irritability. If a too active rooster is caught, it will begin to attack the birds, which increases the irritability of the herd.
• Debauchery. Sometimes poultry farmers launch fighters into the herd of birds, which slow down and even trample laying hens. Because of such aggressive actions, they not only get wounds, but also develop infectious diseases.
• Deterioration of egg production. There are cases when, after the appearance of rowdy cockerels, chickens begin to rush worse. This happens when the birds are chased too often and subjected to stressful situations.

Does a hen need a rooster to lay eggs

Many people wonder if chickens lay eggs if there are no roosters in the coop. Every person who is going to breed birds in the future should know the answer to this question.

In a he althy chicken, eggs are continuously formed in the body, and this does not depend on the presence of roosters in the herd. It is much more important that the chicken eat right every day and get enough nutrients. This is enough for laying testicles.

Therefore, it is not necessary to keep birds other than chickens in the coop.

Most of the farms that professionally raise chickens and sell eggs do not keep males in the herd. However, on this issue, the opinions of many poultry farmers and farmers differ. Some argue that males should not be kept in a chicken coop, as they adversely affect the he alth of females and impair the taste of the testicles.

Others, on the contrary, advocate the need to raise males with females, since in this case the resulting eggs will be much tastier. However, no research has yet scientifically confirmed this claim.

How do birds mate

Beginning poultry breeders should definitely understand the basic nuances of mating birds.

Sexual activity in chickens begins in mid-spring. Therefore, in March it is recommended to prepare nests in advance in which females can hatch chickens. First, a period of courtship for females passes, after which the mating process begins. Then the hens lay fertilized eggs, which they incubate in prepared nests. The number of testicles directly depends on the breed of chickens.

You can determine that the sexual period has activated in birds by the plumage of roosters. Their feathers gradually change to new ones that have a brighter color. The behavior of birds also changes, they become more active to attract attention.

During sexual intercourse, the male sperm enters the ovaries, after which they are fertilized. It is very important that mating takes place during the mating season, when the number of testes of roosters increases hundreds of times. After intercourse, a fertilized egg will be formed within 10-14 hours.

What is useful for a rooster in a chicken coop

Some people think that the males in the coop are only needed to fertilize the hens, but this is not the case. They may also be needed to achieve other equally useful goals, which include the following:

• Organization of management in the chicken coop. Many poultry farmers use roosters as managers. They can make sure that the females in the chicken flock are full, do not experience discomfort, and follow the regime correctly.
• Observation of the process of laying eggs. Not all poultry farmers know that males help inexperienced females to lay eggs. They can indicate the places where you need to rush. Therefore, sometimes males are mentors for young hens and help them adapt in the hen house.
• Protection of the pack. Particularly lively males act as the leader of the pack and protect the females from various dangers. They can protect chickens from predators and even humans. That is why sometimes there are cases when roosters suddenly attack a person or pets.

Cons of keeping chickens with a rooster

Sometimes poultry farmers refuse to keep males in chicken coops. Most often, this solution is associated with problems that may arise if chickens and cockerels are kept in the same room. The disadvantages of keeping birds together include the following:

• Display of aggression. The most aggressive males attack not only predators, but also chickens. Therefore, a rooster for a chicken coop must be selected very carefully.
• Impaired testicular production. Sometimes, due to the maintenance of males along with hens, the number of eggs laid per day decreases.
• Changing the appearance of chickens. Females that live separately from males look much better. If they are kept in the same room, males can periodically trample females, which negatively affects their appearance.
• The constant desire to raise chickens. When hens lay fertilized eggs, they constantly incubate them and often occupy nests. This prevents other hens from laying.

Therefore, in order not to encounter the listed problems, experienced poultry farmers do not advise keeping females with roosters in the same hen house for a long time.

Differences between a fertilized egg and an unfertilized one

It is necessary to figure out in advance whether there are differences between fertilized and unfertilized eggs.

It is widely believed that testicles fertilized by a rooster are much more useful than unfertilized ones, since they contain more nutrients.However, such a statement is erroneous, and there are no noticeable differences in them. During the developmental stage in which humans eat eggs, they do not differ in nutrient composition. They contain the same amount of useful trace elements and vitamins.

The only difference is that fertilized eggs have an undeveloped embryo. Because of this, some people refuse to eat them, justifying their decision with humane considerations.

How many roosters do hens need?

People who want to keep hens with males must determine the optimal number of roosters for the coop.

Experts do not advise keeping too many males in the herd, as this negatively affects egg production. In order for the hens to be able to carry a sufficient number of testicles, it is necessary to keep no more than 2-3 roosters. At the same time, in order to determine the exact number, it is necessary to count the females in the chicken coop.

If there are less than ten of them, one male will suffice. However, when there are too many hens, more roosters will have to be started. They will not only fertilize the females, but also keep order.

Conclusion

Starting farmers don't know if it's necessary to keep chickens with roosters. To answer this question, you need to find out why chickens and males are kept together. You will also have to familiarize yourself with the features of mating birds and determine in advance the advantages and disadvantages of keeping cockerels with hens. The information obtained will help to understand whether chickens can lay without males or not.

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