Mating question

[bizzynik]

One of my roos has started to attempt to mate with my pullets, even though the girls are still not ready. Tonight when my husband put the birds up he mentioned that one of the girls acted like she bumped her head. I assumed my roo was a little rough with her. I read that you can give St. Johns Wort to chickens in cases like this to help them get out of the fog. My question is how much to give. I can't seem to find that anywhere. Thanks.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

What do you mean by acting like she bumped her head? Uncoordinated?

 

[bizzynik]

No my husband said she was moving around just fine. She just let him pick her up, which is out of the norm for her. When he placed her in the coop she kind if tucked herself in the back corner of the roosting bars. I went out to check on her and she seems to be just fine. She was pruning herself when I was out there.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Could be getting sick or just off, keep an eye on her. I have removed roosters from the flock as they sexually mature and penned them up. Some can get to be very obnoxious during their teenage phase.

 

[aart]

I assumed my roo was a little rough with her. I read that you can give St. Johns Wort to chickens in cases like this to help them get out of the fog.

I would avoid this totally....could cause more problems than it might solve.
From your other posts, it looks like you've had some troubles with disease in your flock.
Treating before knowing just what the problem is, and can mask the real problem.

I'd just observe this bird.
How many 'roos' and pullets do you have?
I'm assuming they are all the same age.

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).

 

[bizzynik]

After I posted all this the pullet in question has been 100% herself. So who knows what was up. Right now I have 10 pullets and 2 cockerels. (Thanks for the correction, the proper term for my boys had escaped me when I wrote the first post. Ive been told different things regarding the pullets to cockerel ratio. I was originally told that I needed a 6 to 1 ratio. At the time I had 12 pullets. My flock has changed in the short time I've had them. I've gone up to as many as 14 to 2, to where we are now. One of the boys is roughly 3 weeks older than everyone else. They seem to be getting along fairly well. The girls are 18 weeks tomorrow. I was told the other cockerel and one of the pullets was the same age when I purchased them back in April, but I'm not sure. He seems to just now starting to come into himself. His comb is starting to grow and his waddle are coming in. Everyone seems to be happy at this point.