Rhode Island Red rooster questions

[Wyatt0224]

I have a rir rooster who just turned 8 weeks this past Monday. I'm wondering if anyone knows when he'll actually began to act like a rooster. Ya know protecting his hens, being a watchdog and letting his hens know when there's food or any treats. Also when he might start breeding his hens?

 

[TheTwoRoos]

They start becoming experts at 4 or 5 months of age (some are late bloomers).My cockerals started jumpibg hens at two months old,but that was just practice.They can actually begin breeding at 4 5 months old.

Cockerals try their hardest when their youbg.They will peep at food non stop but get no attention.Hens will be more submissave and listen to roosters when becone old enough to care for a flock.

 

[Wyatt0224]

Ok thank you very much. I do want to breed my chickens but I first off I want a good protective rooster.

 

[AlHawk]

I have a rir rooster who just turned 8 weeks this past Monday. I'm wondering if anyone knows when he'll actually began to act like a rooster. Ya know protecting his hens, being a watchdog and letting his hens know when there's food or any treats. Also when he might start breeding his hens?

My rir roo is 19 weeks old and believe me he knows what to do. Horny little bugger. Jumps the girls all the time, even the ones not laying yet. He does a great job herding the girls and calling out to run to cover. My only complaint is he doesn't leave the girls alone. He thinks when the head is down eating that's an invitation. He's been mounting the hens since 16 weeks albeit very clumsily. The first few eggs I got (at 17 weeks) were all fertilized. So, again, he's doing his job. I'm now waiting for the time he mellows out........

 

[Wyatt0224]

My rir roo is 19 weeks old and believe me he knows what to do.  Horny little bugger.  Jumps the girls all the time, even the ones not laying yet.  He does a great job herding the girls and calling out to run to cover.  My only complaint is he doesn't leave the girls alone.  He thinks when the head is down eating that's an invitation.  He's been mounting the hens since 16 weeks albeit very clumsily.  The first few eggs I got (at 17 weeks) were all fertilized.  So, again, he's doing his job.  I'm now waiting for the time he mellows out........

Well that is very reassuring! Thank you very much for that however I hope it doesn't always think a head drop is an invitation because he will be with at least 4 Silkie hens

 

[AlHawk]

Well that is very reassuring! Thank you very much for that however I hope it doesn't always think a head drop is an invitation because he will be with at least 4 Silkie hens

The one thing about him continues to be the mounting. He's even attempted to mount a couple of my 9 week old barred rocks. They're about the size of your Silkies so I'd watch him. I hope you don't have the same problems. I'm sure this phase will go away in a couple of months when he matures. Until then, he's a jerk sometimes. LOL

I put him out of the coop/run today and am making him roam in the yard alone all day. Let's see if that "timeout" (or many of those) calms him down.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Roosters mount its i. Their nature it never stops.

 

[Wyatt0224]

The one thing about him continues to be the mounting.  He's even attempted to mount a couple of my 9 week old barred rocks.  They're about the size of your Silkies so I'd watch him.  I hope you don't have the same problems.  I'm sure this phase will go away in a couple of months when he matures.  Until then, he's a jerk sometimes.  LOL

I put him out of the coop/run today and am making him roam in the yard alone all day.  Let's see if that "timeout" (or many of those) calms him down.

Well I have already thought of his size and my silkies and I have since gotten black australorps and Rhode Island Red hens to accompany him. Now I bought my silkies unsexed and four out of the six ended up being hens. One of the roosters is very small and is actually the smallest Silkie I have. The other rooster is also considerably small, as two or three Silkie hens are much larger then him. Yet I can tell he has some attitude in him. Obviously my rir rooster will dwarf him in size but will that deter my bigger Silkie roo from making a mistake? So far they get along good but hormones haven't started yet so. Please let me know your opinions

 

[TheTwoRoos]

It could.I gad two roosters grow up together and my liwest roo grew up and faught his brother.Probably becuase he realized size difference abd was sick if being bullued.Anything can happen.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

In fact they were killing eachother.