I have a "Mating" question

[farmerbly]

If a hen is "mating" (I dont know the proper term) Does it mean she is laying also? Or can they "mate" and not lay? Yes I am new to the pet chicken business. I have one rooster and 14 hens. I have been getting about 5-6 eggs a day. I hope the rest start sometime soon. I know my rooster is "mating" a particular hen. But I don't think she is laying.
Thanks for the info,
Billy P

 

[ChickNhood]

Good question...answer please!

 

[J-Sanders]

If a hen is "mating" (I dont know the proper term) Does it mean she is laying also? Or can they "mate" and not lay? Yes I am new to the pet chicken business. I have one rooster and 14 hens. I have been getting about 5-6 eggs a day. I hope the rest start sometime soon. I know my rooster is "mating" a particular hen. But I don't think she is laying.
Thanks for the info,
Billy P

If the rooster is mating the hen then you can be sure she is laying. Hens produce eggs just like women do, just on a semi daily cycle instead of monthly. The rooster will not mate a immature hen because she isn't giving him the proper signal.

As for why you are getting less than 14 eggs per day that is because hens work on a 25 to 26 hour laying cycle and this cycle goes on until the time to lay reaches darkness hour and then it resets and the reset can take up to a week. None of this is written in stone! Some breeds have been selected for no recycle time (White Leghorn) and others have some degree of cycle time inherent to the breed.

What breed of hen are you farming?

Jim

 

[farmerbly]

I have 5 red sex links(i know these are laying), one buff orphington, one production red, a wayndotte, white leghorn(she hasnt missed a day yet), white rock, black austerlorp, a barred rock, and two young americans that are almost laying age(not laying yet). I have only had these birds for a week now. Seem to be adjusting fine to their new home.
Billy P

 

[sumi]

Jim, I'm 32 and I've never produced an egg. Did you perhaps mean hens bodies release egg cells daily?

Oh, and we're born with those egg cells....

Some roosters, especially hormonal young ones will jump on any hen that stands still long enough, I know mine do. One of them tried to mate with a 3 month old chick recently

They also like the broody hens who are not laying. I've noticed that they do seem to prefer some hens more than others and I'd love to know why.

 

[farmerbly]

what is the proper term to use for "mating"?

 

[ChickNhood]

what is the proper term to use for "mating"?

At my house we call it:
Baby dancing
Pillow wrestling
Gettin down and dirty
Bumpin uglies
Doing the "you know"

There are many names ;-)

 

[sumi]

Covering? Servicing? There are lots of terms you can use, but "mating" is fine.

 

[farmerbly]

I got ya! lol.... Thakns!

 

[sumi]

We try and keep it age appropriate here