New Rooster

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javagirl32

javagirl32

In the Brooder
5 Years
Aug 4, 2014
11
0
24
Holden, MO
Hi guys, I have a rooster that just started crowing earlier this week, and now for the last couple days, he has been mating with a few chickens. The first one he mated with is a layer, but a day or so after that, he started mating a few others that haven't started laying yet! I feel like they should start laying any day, but then just figured they may wait until Spring. Does he know who is able to lay or not? Or does he just mate with whoever? I have looked around the yard and every where they go and haven't found any eggs anywhere! So they aren't missing the nest boxes!
 
javagirl32 said:
Hi guys, I have a rooster that just started crowing earlier this week, and now for the last couple days, he has been mating with a few chickens. The first one he mated with is a layer, but a day or so after that, he started mating a few others that haven't started laying yet! I feel like they should start laying any day, but then just figured they may wait until Spring. Does he know who is able to lay or not? Or does he just mate with whoever? I have looked around the yard and every where they go and haven't found any eggs anywhere! So they aren't missing the nest boxes!
Click to expand...

A rooster will mate any female bird he can - whether or not she is actively laying, ready to lay, etc. For signs of readiness to lay it is about the pullet's reaction to his advances - a pullet reaching maturity and the point of lay will submit to the rooster's advances by offering a submissive squat (sometimes called the egg squat). It sounds like you have a pretty young flock overall - how old are your birds?
 
My roo began harassing the girls days before they started laying but some of them have yet to lay... unfortunately they aren't enough of gentlemen to care if the ladies are ready yet or not ;)
 
@Ol Grey Mare
I bought them July 5th and the lady said they were 3 to 6 months old! So I really have no idea! It kind of stinks because I really don't know when to be expecting eggs! Not to mention, I am very new to this!;-)
 
Do you have any photos of them when you purchased them? We can likely give you a pretty good guess which end of that spectrum the birds were on when you got them in July and that will help in placing their age at this point.
 
@Ol Grey Mare
Unfortunately, I don't! I forgot to take pics in the beginning, but now I take them all the time! Lol I only have recent pictures from today!
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