Breeding age for Roosters

[roosterjack]

My three roosters are about 22 weeks old and have been mounting my hens for a few weeks. At what age are they mature enough to actually mate with a hen? Right now they appear to be going through the motions without actually breeding them. I thought I read somewhere in the forum that roosters were not capable of breeding until they were seven or eight months old.

 

[silkiechicken]

Well, depends on the roo but it will take a few weeks or months for them to really get the process down and not miss. If you want to hatch eggs, your best bet will to wait till the roo's are the age you describe, 7-8 months... as for the hens, make sure the eggs are large enough to support the growth of a chick.