Accidental chicken keeper - help!

[EvenBetaDad]

I never thought I would ever start a thread on Chicken Keepers but here goes.

In rather unusual and highly unexpected circumstances, I have suddenly become a chicken keeper. More specifically the keeper of 6 hens and a cockerel.

I am ever so pleased, however, I have two immediate questions. Despite being a farmer's son - I have no idea of the answers.

How do you make sure a cockerel does not crow before 6.30 a.m?

Will there be any fertilised eggs, how will we know and what should we do if there are any?

We only ever had hens bought as hatched chicks from hatcheries on the farm when I was a child so have never had anything to do with cockerels before.

Right. Well, the best way to stop your cockeral crowing early is to put him somewhere really dark and quiet until a respectable hour. Some people pop them into a cage/hutch inside a garage etc with several blankets on top. Worth a shot. As for the eggs, if he is running with your hens assume that all eggs are fertile. This isn't a problem, and you can still eat them. Remove all eggs daily, unless you want a broody to hatch some. A fertile egg will only develop into a chick if it's sat on by a warm chicken bum

Only one way to shut a cockrel up but it includes sage and onion and even a farmer's son has to build themselves up to take that route

Dunno anything about fertile eggs but hey, just wanted to say "Good Luck and welcome to the chicken keepers section"

Thanks for the answers and also the 'chicken keepers' welcome. You put my mind at rest.

The thing is they are not my chickens - I am sort of chicken sitting for two years!

Therefore sage and onion option is not really open to me and TBH he is the most beautiful cockerel I have ever seen. He was imported as an egg from India. He is tall, slim, jet black and has a crown of long scarlet feathers dangling down his back.

No idea what breed he is and I shall have to post a picture of him once I take delivery. I have no idea what his chicks would look like from standard brown and black British hens.

Is he like this one EvenBetaDad?

I only got a brief look at him but no he is not that one.

He is absolutley jet black all over, very slim and tall with a noticeably narrow body and maybe 10 scarlet feathers 10 - 15 cm long drapped down his back from his crown.

I think he must be an ornamental Indian breed - rather than a fighting or table / egg laying breed.

I will get a photo of him in July when he arrives.

Is he a hard feather game bird? Like a Ko shamo? Very tall and slim?

He could well be a game bird. I just Googled a Ko shamo - he certainly has that 'upright' look about him.

he crows just like you would expect a cockerel to crow though.

Is there a place on the internet I could look at Indian chicken/fowl breeds?

It might be worth a look on the Omlet website. They have a section on different breeds

Let us know if you track down his breed. Would love to see a pic!

ko shamo pic?

Some friends were told you could stop them crowing by putting a sock over the cockerel's head.

I have heard of putting them in a box slightly shorter than them. The theory being while roosting it doesnt bother them but come morning they cant crow because they cant lift their head high enough.

Iwouldnt put a sock over his head.

To be honest I think you'll be lucky to find a surefire way of shutting him up, apart from as dinner.