11 week old Cream Legbar cockerel fertility and mixing with Bantam

[OakR]

Hello.

I have an 11 week old Cream Legbar cockerel who is already starting to crow and has started mounting, if that is the right word, an adult Bantam Barnevelder hen- it's all a bit sooner than I expected.

I had two questions around this:

1. Is this bad for the Barnevelder - there is a difference in size though I guess the CL is not fully grown yet at that age so it doesn't look too bad size wise (I've never had cockerels before though). I can seperate them if need be, and I will need to rehome him in the next month as I am not allowed to keep cockerels as it is but am waiting on someone currently.

2. Will he be fertile yet? It seems very early but as he is going through the motions is he maybe an early developer as such? I was just wondering if the eggs might be viable.

Thank you

Al

 

[aart]

I can seperate them if need be, and I will need to rehome him in the next month as I am not allowed to keep cockerels as it is but am waiting on someone currently.

As long as he's already on his way out, I'd separate him now if he's causing stress.

2. Will he be fertile yet? It seems very early but as he is going through the motions is he maybe an early developer as such? I was just wondering if the eggs might be viable.

Has he actually made that all important coalcal kiss contact?
Hard to say if his testes are producing viable sperm at his age, but I suppose it's possible.

 

[OakR]

Thank you @aart - I'm not sure it's causing stress per se, was just wondering if it was an issue in that the bantam could be injured.

 

[aart]

I'm not sure it's causing stress per se, was just wondering if it was an issue in that the bantam could be injured.

Does she squat down and let him mount her?
If she runs away does he let her go?

 

[OakR]

Yes she squats down.

He's not chasing her around all the time and once done they seem to just get on with things as normal if that makes sense.

 

[aart]

Yes she squats down.

He's not chasing her around all the time and once done they seem to just get on with things as normal if that makes sense.

Yep, sounds pretty stressless.
The way to see if he's shooting blanks or not is to look at the blastoderm on the yolk when breaking open eggs to eat......or setting some in an incubator and checking after 3-4 days fo there's any development..

 

[sourland]

If he is making contact, the eggs may very well be fertile.

 

[OakR]

Hello.

I just thought I would come back and update the thread - looks like he was fertile. We've had one egg hatch yesterday, will see if any others do today or tomorrow.

Cockerel will be 16 weeks in 2 days, so working back 21 days, assume the egg was fertilised at around 12 weeks.

Thanks for your help @aart and @sourland.

 

[janiedoe]

Hello.

I just thought I would come back and update the thread - looks like he was fertile. We've had one egg hatch yesterday, will see if any others do today or tomorrow.

Cockerel will be 16 weeks in 2 days, so working back 21 days, assume the egg was fertilised at around 12 weeks.

Thanks for your help @aart and @sourland.

Congratulations! I hope it's a pullet!