At what age can cockerels breed hens?

[Cloverr39]

I have a 12 week old silkie cockerel. I sadly have to rehome him becouse of the loud crowing at early morning hours. But I saw what I thought was him breeding (or him thinking he was breeding) an adult silkie hen. He started crowing at 8 weeks old. I don't have any other roosters at the moment because my previous rooster was lost to a predator. I'm gonna check the egg fertility later when I get some eggs, but could he fertilize eggs at this age? Is he too small to properly breed an adult hen?

Also another question:
When would it be too late in the year to hatch chicks? I have a broody that's been sitting on nothing for about 3 weeks. I'm waiting for her to stop being broody, but that got me thinking... how late is too late in the year to hatch chicks? The temperatures go down to about 0°C to -10°C on an average winter day/night, but can go lower on colder nights. I only have a wooden coop with 1 layer of wooden planks (from pallets) I really hope my adults survive the winter (it's gonna be their first winter here), but would little chicks survive such temperatures? How old would they have to be to do well in winter?

 

[SueT]

I don’t know if a 4 week old cockerel can be fertile or not. Open an egg and see if you see the bullseye on the yolk. Do you know what that looks like?
Broody hens may not give up, and it is possible for the situation to become dangerous for her. To break a broody, you can try putting them in a wire bottom cage for a few days and nights.
A broody hen can hatch eggs in cold weather and keep the chicks warm. But I would just try to break her of it if she’s already been broody so long.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Good question most do not have peeps after like September .. Depends allot of us brood in the spare room.
This does require a incubator or silkie?
Your boy is real questionable of fertility at that age not impossible though.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have a 12 week old silkie cockerel. I sadly have to rehome him becouse of the loud crowing at early morning hours. But I saw what I thought was him breeding (or him thinking he was breeding) an adult silkie hen. He started crowing at 8 weeks old. I don't have any other roosters at the moment because my previous rooster was lost to a predator. I'm gonna check the egg fertility later when I get some eggs, but could he fertilize eggs at this age? Is he too small to properly breed an adult hen?

There is one way to find out. Anything else is speculation and conjecture.

When would it be too late in the year to hatch chicks? I have a broody that's been sitting on nothing for about 3 weeks. I'm waiting for her to stop being broody, but that got me thinking... how late is too late in the year to hatch chicks? The temperatures go down to about 0°C to -10°C on an average winter day/night, but can go lower on colder nights. I only have a wooden coop with 1 layer of wooden planks (from pallets) I really hope my adults survive the winter (it's gonna be their first winter here), but would little chicks survive such temperatures? How old would they have to be to do well in winter?

Broody hens can raise chicks in that kind of weather. She needs to be able to cover them as they grow so I'd not set a lot of eggs. Most chicks feather out at 4 to 5 weeks of age. To be safe I'd want them to be at least 6 weeks old for those temperatures.