Dumb Q

[wvhomesteader]

silly question but excuse my ignorance as we haven't raised layers from day one.

We got these chicks in March and as I t turns out we have a black australorp roo. He's a beautiful bird and has recently learned to crow.

He has also started to mount our silver laced wyandotte female.

My question is this:
Does his mounting her mean that he is just maturing or is it that she has matured and is sending some kind of signal that she's going to begin laying soon?

With dogs, there's an obvious sign when they're in heat and ready to reproduce but I haven't ever heard evidence of such with chickens.

I've been watching the SLW for some time now expecting that she will lay soon but now I'm extra concerned.

Thanks!

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

Don't hesitate to ask questions. They are a way to learn.

His mounting does somewhat mean he is maturing. The mounting is him mating with her. Roosters are typically very "active" when they are less than a year old because the hormones are raging through their body. She should start laying soon because most breeds start laying around 5-6 months of age.