Egg laying

[chub_the_chick]

Hello, recently my rooster started breeding with my hens, and I was wondering does that mean they are about to lay? They're almost six months old.
Thanks for the help!

 

[DobieLover]

Hello, recently my rooster started breeding with my hens, and I was wondering does that mean they are about to lay? They're almost six months old.
Thanks for the help!

Not necessarily right away. But he is!
My boys started to lay about a month before my pullets did.

 

[TheBeardie]

Males mature faster than females. Six months is around when pullets start laying, a bright red comb(like a rooster) and squatting usually means they're close to laying. Hope you get your first egg soon!

 

[TheBeardie]

Not necessarily right away. But he is!
My boys started to lay about a month before my pullets did.

Lay? Do you mean breed?

 

[DobieLover]

Lay? Do you mean breed?

That is one euphemism for it, yes.

 

[Mosey2003]

If the pullets' combs are bright red and they're squatting for him, they're very close. If he's basically running them down and forcing it, I'd separate until they're laying.

 

[aart]

Hello, recently my rooster started breeding with my hens, and I was wondering does that mean they are about to lay? They're almost six months old.
Thanks for the help!

Is the male also 6 months old?
Male are usually sexually mature around 4 months old, female not util about 6mo.
Some young cockerels know when a female is ready to ovulate,
some just try to mount everything no matter the females maturity level.
So she could be near laying,
here's some tips:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

FYI.....semantics, maybe, but can be important communication terms when discussing chicken behavior.
Female chickens are called pullets until one year of age, then they are called hens.
Male chickens are called cockerels until one year of age, then they are called cocks(or cockbirds or roosters).
Age in weeks or months is always a good thing to note.

 

[chub_the_chick]

Is the male also 6 months old?
Male are usually sexually mature around 4 months old, female not util about 6mo.
Some young cockerels know when a female is ready to ovulate,
some just try to mount everything no matter the females maturity level.
So she could be near laying,
here's some tips:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

FYI.....semantics, maybe, but can be important communication terms when discussing chicken behavior.
Female chickens are called pullets until one year of age, then they are called hens.
Male chickens are called cockerels until one year of age, then they are called cocks(or cockbirds or roosters).
Age in weeks or months is always a good thing to note.

thank you for the information.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hello, recently my rooster started breeding with my hens, and I was wondering does that mean they are about to lay? They're almost six months old.
Thanks for the help!

No, it does not 100% absolutely without a shadow of doubt for sure mean they are going to start laying in the next few days. How they react to his attempts to mate could be a clue they might possibly be close, but even if they behave like mature adult hens it is still not for sure. I once saw a 13 week old pullet willingly squat for a 13 week old cockerel. She did not start to lay for another two months.

The mating act is as much about dominance as it is about fertilizing the eggs, even more so with immature cockerels and pullets. The one on the bottom is accepting the dominance of the one on top, either willingly or by force. Often (but not always) with mature hens and roosters it is willingly but often (not always) it is more by force with immature pullets and cockerels.

There are several possible signs that a pullet might be close to starting to lay. If she willingly squats for a male when he dances without running away shows she accepts his dominance but also is a sign she might be close to laying. Might be, but not for sure. She may just be easily dominated.

Normally pullets getting ready to lay have bright red combs and wattles as opposed to pink or orange. Combs and wattles can be red for other reasons and sometimes they can lay without having bright red combs and wattles but if they stay bright red consistently it is a good sign.

Sometimes but not always about a week before they start to lay some pullets start looking for a good place to lay. Occasionally, but not always, the rooster may help her in her search. If you have others laying the pullets will often take their clue from them and lay where the others are laying. That's why fake eggs in the nest can help direct them to start laying there. That doesn't always work but it can help. Part of that search often involves scratching. It's a good sign if you see them scratching in your nests. If you find your nesting material and fake eggs on the coop floor it is not only a good sign they might be close but also an indication you probably need to raise the lip on your nest so it is harder for them to scratch nesting material, fake eggs, and real eggs out of the nest.

One really good sigh is the pullet's vent. If it is dry and tight she is not laying. If it is soft, moist, and large she is laying or getting really close. I don't have photos of the difference but it is pretty dramatic when you see it.

The distance between pelvic bones is another good sign. The wider they are the more likely she is laying or at least close.

The bottom line is that there is only one thing to absolutely indicate she is close to laying. That is finding an egg. All these other things are signs she might possibly be close but none are for sure.

I do not use artificial lights to extend daylight to try to get them to lay in winter. I've still had pullets lay their first egg this time of the year, with the shortest days of the year. I've also had some wait until the days got longer and warmer. I know how hard that wait can be, I had some blue egg layers wait until nine months of age to start, and that was the first week of December. I wish you luck.