Does mating activity DECREASE rate of lay?

[jmc]

I do ducks of course, but wondering about chicken keepers's experiences.

I have read thus about ducks, but I was wondering if any of you folks have direct experience with such a situation with chooks................

tx

 

[gritsar]

I hope I'm understanding your question correctly.

What I can tell you from watching my chickens is this. When one of my girls is not laying for some reason, like molting, my roo has no interest in them as far as mating goes. He still guards them and pampers them, giving them treats, etc., but he doesn't try to mate.
My girls are just finishing a molt and some have started laying again. I've been able to tell who is laying again by my roo's mating activity. As the girls come back into lay, he has started mating them again.
ETA: The only way I can see that mating would decrease the laying is if the roo is mating a particular hen so much that he's stressing her out. Any stress has the potential to cause the hen to stop or slow down on her laying.

 

[jmc]

Thank you, Grits

You understood my question, yes you did!

"Does mating activity have any effect on 'layers' production: increase or decrease in rate of lay?"

thank you, again

 

[Big Red Hen]

I was wondering the same thing too. My roo doesn't show interest in any of my girls. None are moulting and my 3 that were laying aren't now.