Re: Neighbors dog got in my chickens

Jill wrote:
> hal@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 wrote:
>> On Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:49:48 -0500, Gordie <gordy@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>>
>>>> the rooster survived.  He seems to be doing fine.  I have 3 and I
>>>> can't even tell which one was chewed up.  The hen was not able to
>>>> walk after about 3 days I put her down as she didn't seem to be
>>>> recovering. So now I'm down to 20 hens and 3 roosters.
>>>> Contemplating taking 2 of the roosters for dinner sometime soon.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Hal
>>>
>>> WOW, I have always tried to keep an 8:1 ratio of hens to roosters.
>>
>> is that standard practice?  I'm new at this, of course, and I had
>> always heard you didn't want more than one rooster because they would
>> fight.  I don't have facilities to keep them separated yet, so was
>> planning on keeping only one but would keep all three if I thought
>> they would get along ok.
>>
> 
> We have managed to more than one cockerel together with our breeds, but 
> some individuals have not taken to it so have gone on to sole male
homes.
> Its something that either works or doesn't depending on each bird.
> One male to 20 should still be fine, you might have a little lessening 
> in overall fertility across the flock.
> 
I was able to give away a beautiful rooster to a man who didn't want him 
for breeding but because, he said, the eggs last longer when they are 
fertilized.  Is that true?  I sure wasn't arguing!  Lovely man with a 
lovely attitude to chooks, gardening, environment - I knew my pretty boy 
would have a good life.  But I'm curious, do the eggs REALLY store longer?

A L P