cockerel fertile ? ?

[rita2paul]

i have a cockerel who is 16 weeks, he is mating or trying to, so i was wondering what age he can fertile the hens eggs.
also what age does your hens go broody.

 

[AlleysChicks]

I would say he could fertilize them now if he was successful. But it may take awhile to get the technique down.

As for broodiness it’s a hormone thing. So it could or could not happen. I’ve had 5 month pullets all the way to 2 year old hens go broody. And most of what I have have never been broody.

 

[rita2paul]

i will have to wait and see, would love for them to raise some of their own. maybe next year, fingers crossed.

 

[AlleysChicks]

i will have to wait and see, would love for them to raise some of their own. maybe next year, fingers crossed.

It’ll probably happen when you least expect it. That’s how it went for me. My pullet hatched out some babies in October last year.

 

[rita2paul]

It’ll probably happen when you least expect it. That’s how it went for me. My pullet hatched out some babies in October last year.

blimey October is late.

 

[AlleysChicks]

blimey October is late.

luckily it was still nice and warm. Plus they were LF babies so they grew quick!

That same bird is broody again. She’s getting ready to hatch more babies.