A stupid rooster mating question

[cackle]

I have 14 pullets 22 weeks old. 8 RIR and 6 BR. When they were young and the rooster first started doing his mating thing he would just grab a pullet RIR or BR it did not seem to matter. Well the RIR girls are laying and the BR have not started. Now when I see him mate a hen it is always a RIR. Is it because they are more mature because they are laying?

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Roosters will pick their favorite hens to mate. They will mate all of them if given the chance but they do have fav's. You will notice the favored hens when they start getting bare backed.

 

[Attack Chicken]

Yeah my rooster does seem to prefer one pullet over the other one.

 

[speckledhen]

I watch my roosters and who they're grabbing. The ones that he shows interest in are already laying or just about to lay. He ignores the ones that aren't close to laying. That's the way I know who to watch, and within a short time, she starts laying. The roosters know; I'm convinced of that.

 

[Attack Chicken]

Looks like you'll have chicks on the way ^.^ What kind are they going to be?

 

[gritsar]

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That's what I've noticed too. Why fight for it from an immature girl when the layers are so much more compliant.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

My D'uccle roo grabs his fav out of the three girls all the time but she is far from laying yet but maybe she will be the first. He has been mating her for weeks now and will only mate the others when she runs to fast for him.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
My dark brahma roo Thor has been after Lil'Bit since she was tiny. She's always been deathly afraid of him and will come running for me if she can find me. When I pick her up to protect her from big bad Thor I of course get the stink eye from him. Now Lil'Bit is laying, surprised the heck outta me cuz she's so little yet she's the first of my darks to lay. Now that she's laying she will mate willingly with my other rooster, but still runs from Thor. Maybe he has bad breath, I dunno.

 

[cackle]

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[debilorrah]

My roo could care less who he mounts. It's a fre for all in my coop.