Just 2 days ago I only had 2 roos that were crowing and mating. My White Faced Black Spanish started crowing when he was about 4 weeks old. He has been mating for about a month now. My Blue Cochin was bought in October and he is older. Anyway, my husband and I finally started the run covering. While we were out there working yesterday I thought I heard a new crow. I knew it was a new crow because of how sickly it sounded. LOL Since they were all cooped up while we were working I decided to let them free range for a while. I couldn't believe what I saw. I had 5 new roosters crowing and mating. They weren't doing that just the day before!! One of them I actually thought was a pullet up until the very second I saw him crowing. Now it is time to decide who is going to the chopping block. It is so hard to decide because most of them have qualities I like. DH said NO to my more chicken coops idea. LOL I'm going to have to do something soon because my poor girls are getting used and abused. The Lakenvelder seems to be a favorite! I think I'm definately going to talk DH into making me a Cochin coop. I already have a Silkie pen and a general population coop/run. Maybe that is what I will ask him to get me for Christmas! And I still don't have any eggs! Most of my girls were hatched on 6/1/07 and the others were hatched on 6/23/07. I keep telling my kids any time now but they no longer believe me. LOL The hens I bought in October were laying and even layed 1 egg after I brought them home but have stopped. Where are my eggs??? Take care, Tami
Don't you hate when that happens? You could try rehoming them if you don't want to make them soup. Maybe the shorter daylight hours are slowing your hens down.