By leaving the hips on you will inhibit new blooms on the plant. Take them off right now and make sure you deadhead the other blooms when it is time. In the fall, leave the hips on. Don't know about your weather, but here in Michigan, we pull the hips off after it gets below 28 degrees for one night, and the cold stratify for about 120 days. You should be able to search for more on this on this site.

Depends on the rose as far as hips inhibiting re-bloom. Some roses don't seem bothered, others do. Also, (except for some of the species roses) hips need at least 3-4+ months growing time to mature. Most hybridizers make their croses during the first spring flush in order to make sure their hips are mature enough by fall.

You do know that hybrid roses don't come true from seed? You can get a lot of interesting variations, but nothing exactly like the parent(s).

Kittyskid, would you be interested in sharing? I'd be glad to send a SASBE for a few hips. Oct. would probably be OK to send them or anytime after the first frost. Please let
me know.
Weldon