Advice on encouraging hens to put out and having sexy time

[frg34]

I want to incubate some eggs starting in about 3 weeks. I keep my 3 BCM cockerels (30 weeks) separate from my 9 hens (6 are 2 years and 3 are 30 weeks) and the boys get along great with each other. I cant keep the cockerels in with the hens permanently and I cant move the hens in with the cockerels; so, the last couple days I have dropped one BCM cockerel off at the girls for 4-5 hours hoping for a "conjugal visitation" time. The BCMs are quite a bit bigger than even the older hens, but they are still roughing him up and he stays to himself so far. Should I keep with this strategy (I am going to go with longer stays of 7-8 hours)? Would adding a second cockerel in with the hens hurt or help? thanks

 

[Dry Creek Ranch]

You have to keep the rooster in with the hens long enough for him to get a chance to get to the top of the pecking order otherwise the hens will just attack him (not in a good way) every time you put him in the pen. I would give it at least a week if not longer. You might also try putting him with just two or three hens at a time. 9 against 1 is a steep hill to climb especially for a young rooster.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I want to incubate some eggs starting in about 3 weeks. I keep my 3 BCM cockerels (30 weeks) separate from my 9 hens (6 are 2 years and 3 are 30 weeks) and the boys get along great with each other. I cant keep the cockerels in with the hens permanently and I cant move the hens in with the cockerels; so, the last couple days I have dropped one BCM cockerel off at the girls for 4-5 hours hoping for a "conjugal visitation" time. The BCMs are quite a bit bigger than even the older hens, but they are still roughing him up and he stays to himself so far. Should I keep with this strategy (I am going to go with longer stays of 7-8 hours)? Would adding a second cockerel in with the hens hurt or help? thanks

Too many cooks spoil the soup, and too many cockerels will fail to do the job. I have done something like you are attempting before but I used one fully matured rooster who I tied out on a tether or tie cord each day. Since he was the only rooster my hens could access or sexually molest they took turns coming into his reach and would often squat before he began his courting dance.

If you have too many roosters and they all are more or less physically equal, when one starts to mate all will rush over and attack the fellow who just (almost) got lucky, disrupting mating. The idea of a flock of chickens is a group of socially integrated birds with a functioning hierarchy or priest hood. I would choose the most vital and healthy looking rooster, making sure that he is not too fat, and put him in the pen with your hens (and only him) then walk away. I predict that in no time his confidence will soar and that he will father you many healthy chicks.

 

[azygous]

These comments are right on. I'm enjoying this saga immensely!

Seriously, though, it does require a certain length of time for a roo, whichever one you choose, to be accepted by the hens. If he's less than a year old, there's a breaking in period because he'll be over-eager and extremely clumsy. Hens are inexperienced, too, and need time to get with the program. There's a certain amount of trust involved, and the hens need to learn he's being amorous and not trying to abuse them.

I would try to select the young man who appears to be the highest ranking in their group. He's the one who will have the self-confidence required to carry out this mission.

Chicken mating is a bit different than borrowing your neighbor's bull for your cow.