Do chickens have to have A rooster to stare laying?????????

[kitten]

Do chickens need a rooster to start laying ??????????

 

[Colored Egg Farmer]

Nope they should start automatically. rooster are only there to make fertilized eggs.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

The presence of a rooster does not dictate the sexual maturation schedule of a pullet.

 

[AllChookUp]

No, but some folks claim that the hens will start laying a bit sooner if there is a rooster around. They really only need the rooster to produce fertile (hatchable) eggs.

.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

No, if there's a rooster around, they start shortening their skirts and wearing mascara sooner.

 

[AllChookUp]

... and eventually start bossing the rooster around.

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[Novaleigh]

I know pullets lay eggs with or without a roo. But, wouldn't mating (having a roo around) jump start the laying process in the pullet? By getting the pullets body with the egg program, where it might otherwise have doddled around, waiting for eggs to form in her body at her leisure?