"HELP" Birds and bees questions for chicken dummie!!

[redsmum]

I do hope someone out there can help me, I have just started my first flock and I have so many questions! My flock consists of 1 Silkie Bantam Rooster, and some bantie girls, 2 silkies, 2 polish & 1 Millie fleur d’uccle and these standard hens, 1 Barred rock, 1 Buff Brahma, 1 Americana, 1 RIR, 1 Wyandotte, . They are all between 6 & 9 months old. My questions are;
How old will the rooster be before he wants to mate? (He started crowing about 3 weeks ago).Three of the standard hens have started to lay but he is showing zero interest in any of the girls. Will he want to mate with all the chickens or just the bantams? Will the larger girls allow him to mate with them? At the moment he is very low on the pecking order with the larger hens picking on him. I guess I had imagined that a rooster of any size would "rule the roost" and this is not happening! I have created a kind of “safe house” within the coop for him and the smaller girls, an enclosed area with an entrance just big enough for the little ones to enter when they want to escape from the larger chickens without the bigger ones getting in, and it seems to work really well and they use it often, but I am considering asking my hubbie (when the weather gets warmer) to make a separate coop for the bantams and then I would consider getting a standard sized Roo for the big girls, would I have to find a Roo the same age as the hens or could I introduce a younger male?

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Those are some nice-looking chickens you have there. Your set-up sounds great, to have a separate safe place for the smaller birds to retreat to when they wish. As you've observed, pecking-order position doesn't depend on gender, and it doesn't always depend on size either. It's all about the attitude, and often it's the bantams who have the most. Some bantam roos will want to husband the standard-sized hens, will cluck to them, dance around them, and try to mate with them. Some standard hens will allow that, but others, maybe yours included, won't give a bantam roo the time of day.

If you do get a larger roo you may want to make a separate pen for your bantams & silkies. Otherwise, let them all stay together as you have them, maybe your silkie roo will grow bolder as he grows older.

 

[possumqueen]

No doubt about it, you're on the right track, redsmum! Your birds are gorgeous, and your setup sounds like something to die for. yet another asset for BYC!

Maybe if you separate the banties until the roo gets a little older, he'll come back to the big girls and show his stuff. If he grows up with them, and they get used to keeping him in his place, they'll never really see him as a match.

Where are you? How's your weather doing?

maggie

 

[Happy Chooks]

My cockeral has been in the coop with my girls 2 weeks now. He still is getting chased and beat up by my hens. I can't wait until he steps up to the plate and takes over. He is 15 1/2 weeks old and I have not seen him mate, but my light brahma eggs are fertile. So just because you don't see him doing it, doesn't mean he isn't.

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

Gorgeous birds.

If you are only looking for companionship and eating eggs, you really won't need a rooster at all. The hens, std and banty, will lay eggs without a rooster.

I like roosters when they are gentlemanly and care for the flock, but they are not strictly necessary unless you want to hatch chicks. If you want chicks, you may want a rooster that is the same breed as at least one of your std hens if you want 'pure breed'. Mutt or mixed breed chickens are often very pretty and can lay well, but you are starting with such gorgeous birds...I think I'd want to see if they could produce more like themselves.

 

[redsmum]

A big thank you to everyone who replied. I love this web site and I could never have started my chicken hobby without all the valuable information and help from the message board.
Thank you all for your kind remarks about my chooks, I also think they are beautiful.

“possumqueen” I live in Michigan and the weather is very cold but that’s normal, but a little less than normal snow fall. I think you are getting our share this year!! I really like your idea about separating him for a while then reintroducing him but I have to wait till it gets a little warmer to entice my husband out to the barn to do some DIY!!

“new2chooks” How can you tell your eggs are fertile? I tried looking at mine and although I can see a small round mark I don’t know if it’s fertile. Any tips?

 

[BarredBuff]

Not to get off topic but its funny when hens whip roosters.......