Already mating in TX

[BabyPea]

I heard my male whistle to mate and when I turned around to see yep he was mating with his hen. Yesterday again, I was like wow so early and already mating.
This evening she laid her first egg of the year. They are a bit early this year.

 

[KsKingBee]

It's funny, last night I dreamt that I was surprised to find the first egg of the season while feeding and my first thought was 'Oh, no'.

 

[Midnightman14]

I don't get my first eggs until the 3rd week in mayish.

 

[BabyPea]

It's funny, last night I dreamt that I was surprised to find the first egg of the season while feeding and my first thought was 'Oh, no'.

This spring like weather has that male ready. I don't know if they have been mating. I saw them 2 days ago mating I thought well maybe in 2 weeks she will start to lay. First time have them mating so early in the year. We shall see in next week if the eggs are good or not.

 

[BabyPea]

I don't get my first eggs until the 3rd week in mayish.

Mine usually start to lay in beginning of April. I guess they were just ready already. Lol None of my other males are tho, jist this pair.

 

[KsKingBee]

I don't get my first eggs until the 3rd week in mayish.

Holy Moly that makes a really short season. I am good with April first but they don't all start then, the crescendo is about the first week of May with my biggest hatches in early to mid June. I plan to not set any after mid July unless under a broody hen. Incubated chicks hatched after mid August are difficult to get ready for the winter cold.

 

[KsKingBee]

This spring like weather has that male ready. I don't know if they have been mating. I saw them 2 days ago mating I thought well maybe in 2 weeks she will start to lay. First time have them mating so early in the year. We shall see in next week if the eggs are good or not.

I have cocks that are ready and have their 'daddy bump' and some hens that look close too. Lucky for me they are in a heated coop.

 

[Midnightman14]

Holy Moly that makes a really short season. I am good with April first but they don't all start then, the crescendo is about the first week of May with my biggest hatches in early to mid June. I plan to not set any after mid July unless under a broody hen. Incubated chicks hatched after mid August are difficult to get ready for the winter cold.

It's short but much more intense for it. I've compared numbers of eggs and fertility with a few georgia, florida, and texas people and even though they have many more months that the birds feasibly COULD continue to lay for longer periods and produce more chicks they don't. I think part of it is they have not been domesticated so they haven't been bred to the point of producing like a domestic chicken would. I also think a major factor is the fact that both male and female invest so much in the reproductive process with the plumage, dancing, egg production, chick rearing, etc. that they would simply burn out and begin to show malnourishment from libido and injuries from mating.

 

[AB03Sam]

I don't get my first eggs until the 3rd week in mayish.

That’s normally when mine lay in Alberta as well.

 

[BabyPea]

It's so weird because that male is already making his sounds. Everyone else is like whatever dude. Lol