rooster trying but no eggs

Good that you're downsizing on roos   Some roos will mount just about anything, whether a pullet is of (or near) laying age or not (and sometimes whether it's an actual chicken or not ).  Others won't mate until the pullet is definitely of laying age.  At 19 weeks, your pullets are most likely going to be laying soon.

My roo was mating my hens for about 3 weeks before they laid.

My older girls, 1 to 1.5 yearold dont give my 23 week old roo the time of day. They chase him off and give him the evil eye whenever he tries. He's the one that has lost more than a few tail feathers. He usually hangs out with his brooder mates that are not laying yet. I haven't seen him try with them.

As hard as a rooster may try, they can not produce eggs.  That's the hens' job.  Oh, that's not what you meant. 


As others have already said, cockerels become sexually mature far earlier than the pullets.

My pullets are usually 18-20 weeks.  I could usually tell by the way they act, they go from running around like crazy chicks to being calm and appearing to be looking for something.  My P.O.L pullets always seem to be looking around like they have an agenda, they will go in and out of the coop, look up at things, lay in corners,  all just normal actions trying to decide where to lay their eggs when its time.

Depending on the breed, your chickens will start laying eggs between 20 - 26 weeks old, whether there's a rooster around or not.


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Back to the question. What does the rooster have to do with the egg production? He can still have his fun but that's all it is. Unless I've really missed something.

At 19 weeks, the roosters are still adolescents with hormones running wild.  They are bigger than the pullets and can force them if the pullet resists.  Pullets that age are usually not sexually mature enough to cooperate, but I have had some that willingly accept the roosters attention at a surprisingly young age, long before they are ready to lay. 

I saw a 14 week old pullet squat for a 14 week old rooster yesterday.  That is unusual for the pullet, not the rooster, but I find that chickens are not real consistent.  Each has their own personality.  Usually, when a pullet willingly accepts a roosters advances, it means she is ready to lay.  Usually, not always.  But at 19 weeks, you should not be that far away.

Back to the question. What does the rooster have to do with the egg production? He can still have his fun but that's all it is. Unless I've really missed something.

The rooster trying to mount the pullet has very little if anything to do with whether the pullet is about to lay.  Her accepting his advances is a sign she might be ready to lay.  You are right in that whether or not a rooster is around has nothing to do with when a pullet starts laying.  It is her accepting that is a decent indication she is ready.

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