I've done a search and didn't find anything right away and it's late at night so I don't want to keep looking. So forgive me if this is a worn out question. At what age do males start to crow? I'm wondering because 1 of my 12 "pullets" that I received from Sunnyside Hatchery June 5th (so they'll be 2 months old the beginning of Sept) is for sure a male. His comb is MUCH larger than the other ones and he is getting wattles already and none of the other ones have wattles yet. Plus his legs are larger than the other ones. I'm not complaining at all. Actually I'm glad I ended up getting a male in that group. He is very sweet too by the way. I hope he stays that way. I'm just getting anxious for him to start crowing. (I know, I'll probably think differently once he starts) My next question- At what age are males able to fertilize eggs? Is it the same age (5 or 6 months) as females when they start to lay eggs? Thanks in advance for your answers!
I believe my roo started crowing at 3 months. I have two cochin roos who are the same age (18 wks)and they are mysteriously quiet. I have been waiting on them to crow, which by the way, I love hearing them and we aren't close to neighbors. I have a ten month old lt. brahma who is crowing and tries to dominate the whole flock but the flock doesn't 'obey" him. He only has four hens who stay with him. Don't know when they can fertilize a hen though. edited as to how old the roo was when he started to crow.
I've had roo's start between 2 and 4 months old. It's so funny to watch them learn how to. Errrrrr---hoonk as they run out of air. As for fertilizing eggs, I would wait till he's about 8 months old since he'll have lots of practicing to do to get it right... they miss alot when they first start out. Then as for the girls, you generally don't want to set pullet eggs since they are too small and aren't really enough to sustain the growing chick. Wait till the girls are about 8 months or so or their eggs become their "larger" size, to set them.
One of our Araucana/EE cockeral started attempts at crowing at 6 weeks old. One of our Mottled Cochin Bantams is just now making noise at 13 weeks old. Silver Sebright and Black Tailed Buff Japs have been sounding off between the two. I wonder if it isn't a "point of laying low" until they just can't stand it anymore...don't know?
I have also heard if you have mature roos around, the cockrels will hear it and actually start crowing sooner. I have 12 roos here now and it's chaos all day long with them competing. I have them all separated into pods of 3 in different tractors so the hens don't get constantly nailed day & night. I do keep one rooster (a very handsome barred rock) with my laying hens. I can watch them for hours. The hens adore him, you can just tell. They follow him around 6 or 8 at a time, it's like a little parade. One observation I have made is that the roos are sexually active long before the hens start to lay eggs.
Hehe, my little Jap roo still peeps like a baby. He's very vigilant about putting the other little roos in line, though, and doesn't allow them to fight one another either. But he still sounds like a baby. As for watching out for the girls, he simply runs away from any danger, ducking under everyone else as he makes his escape. He's not interested in the girls yet. I sure HOPE I've got my cockerels and pullets straight, at any rate. Everyone is almost 2-1/2 months old now. I'm pretty sure of the banties. I'm not putting it past one of my standard pullets turning out to be a cockerel though. And I still don't know if the seabright is a he or a she, or even if it's a seabright! I have to manage to get pics developed soon ... trish
I have a Buff laced Polish & a Blue Laced Red Wyandotte that will be 16 weeks on Monday. I have a mature Dark Brahma. The adult Brahma roo crows but the young ones haven't tried to my knowledge.
Quote:your cochin roos are QUIET?! mine crowed first at 2 months!!!!! and then pretty much perfected it at 2 1/2! unfortunately we couldnt keep roosters, actually, i dont know if its a law, but my neighbors were going to call the cops!!
oh, rosyposyosy, I am so sorry you had to get rid of your cochin roos, they are so beautiful. Nope mine are as quiet as a mouse. They are pretty much larger than the main ten month old roo but I think they are lying low?? ha ha I have a black roo and a blue roo and neither one of them are making more than chuckle sounds.