a rooster thing

[Ole rooster]

Tonight when I let the pullets out for the last time before roost time my rooster chased down the black Sexlink and that's what they did. She is aptly named. She hasn't squatted with me around but she did him. That's good. Does that have anything to do with laying?

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Yes. A sudden willingness to allow mating is a sign that laying will commence shortly. And don't think for a second that the roosters don't know who is about to start laying because they do. I don't know how they know, but they do.

 

[Ole rooster]

I am lucky he knows. For sure I don't have a clue.

Thanks.

 

[fuzziecreatures]

Since the KNOW who is going to be laying, about how long after mating seen do they lay?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Don't take me wrong. It is a good sign. With most, it means laying is real close. But I had a 14 week old pullet willingly squat for a 14 week old rooster. She was not forced. He danced and she squatted. That was about a month ago. She is still not laying.

I find it real hard to get anything really consistent about chicken behavior. Everry time I think I figure something out I see something different. A 14 week old rooster dancing instead of just jumping on is unusual. A 14 week old pullet willingly squatting is really unusual.

 

[fuzziecreatures]

Lol
Well her comb has gotten larger, now pink instead of yellow. Her sisters comb is still small and yellow.

 

[Ole rooster]

This pullet has a small red comb. One thing I have noticed is she has for some reason gotten more friendly. She doesn't run away and will walk through my leg while I'm out there with them. This morning she took a meal worm from my hand. That's a first.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
My two youngest batches of chicks - 3 from one hen, 5 from the other - are now 5 months old. I didn't interact with them much at all when they were chicks. Two of these chicks are polish, which are really friendly by nature so it's easy to handle them now. Five of the others, 4 sex links and a minorca, used to hurt themselves trying to get away from me. Now they have reached POL and are suddenly much friendlier. My rooster is young so not servicing all these pullets and hens. All I have to do anymore is step in the coop and all five of them suddenly squat (for me).

However, I do agree with Ridge that chicken behavior is unpredictable. Generally speaking though if I have a pullet that starts squatting, either for me or the roo, it's not too long before I see that pullet checking out the nestboxes.

Another interesting tidbit - I've witnessed my roosters being extra attentive to my broody hens or a hen that's about to go broody. It's to the rooster's advantage that a hen hatch his chicks to carry on the roo's bloodline.

The other day I watched an old BBC program on the life of a chicken. The show made mention of the fact that a hen can reject the sperm of a subordinate roo should he mate her against her will; keeping only the sperm of the alpha roo.

Interesting creatures chickens are. Interesting and frustrating at the same time.

 

[TexasToucan]

Quote:
Wow! Now that is interesting.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:

Quote:
Originally Posted by gritsar
The other day I watched an old BBC program on the life of a chicken. The show made mention of the fact that a hen can reject the sperm of a subordinate roo should he mate her against her will; keeping only the sperm of the alpha roo.

Wow! Now that is interesting.

I just searched YouTube and can't find the video again, but I'll keep searching.

Found it. There are four videos in all - http://www.permaculture.org.au/2011/01/28/the-private-life-of-chickens/