Over Zealous Rooster

[Bettyboop7499]

Hello Everyone,
I have my very first group of chickens, they are free range, 10 hens 2 roosters approximately 11 weeks old. One of my roosters is a Sebright and he has been crowing for a couple of weeks now and this morning I saw him trying to mount one of my other bantams! I wasn't expecting that at all yet! Is this typical behavior? Will he try to mount one of the Barred Rock hens as well?

My other Rooster is a Wyandotte and hasn't even started trying to crow much less mount a hen!

I've seen the two Roos posturing but otherwise get along pretty good. What should I look out for now? Or be prepared for? My hens haven't even started laying yet, should I be prepared for eggs now? I don't have laying boxes in their coup yet...

What do I do?

 

[abraga]

he may be just asserting his dominance...and practicing

 

[abraga]

2 roos with 10 hens may become an issue once the boys start to mature..especially if they are confined in a run.

 

[Chickassan]

Yeah, if he's crowing then mounting is naturally coming into practice. Your other guy is just matureing slower it might be 5 or 6 months even before he becomes a man. Your little guy will try to romance them all big or small, if nothing else you've got some comedy coming your way.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Actually kinda normal,some start earlier,and from experience bantams mature very early.
Most start around four,five and six months usually.

 

[Bettyboop7499]

So, if he is maturing early should I expect my two silver duckwing OEGBs hens to start laying? I don't have laying boxes in their coup yet..I didn't think they would need them until 18-20weeks.

And they are in a 12 x40 ft fenced in area, with a 4x6 coup, do you think that is big enough for 10 hens and 2 roosters?

 

[TheTwoRoos]

No,that’s not how it works unfortunately and it often causes early breeding issues.My young Cochin bantam went back and fourth on our poor pullets who at this age,were just innocent little chicks thinking nothing about laying,or breeding,but we’re introduced to it very early on.They do act as little couples though at a very young age,maybe like a middle school couple.

 

[rosemarythyme]

4x6 coop is too small for 12 chickens, that's enough space for 6, if even that. Right now it's probably not an issue as your chickens are still young so they don't have too many pecking order issues, plus the weather is nicer so they're outside all day, but during winter there might be days when they won't want to come out at all due to cold/snow, which means the entire flock will be stuck inside.

The run space is very good.

 

[Bettyboop7499]

4x6 coop is too small for 12 chickens, that's enough space for 6, if even that. Right now it's probably not an issue as your chickens are still young so they don't have too many pecking order issues, plus the weather is nicer so they're outside all day, but during winter there might be days when they won't want to come out at all due to cold/snow, which means the entire flock will be stuck inside.

The run space is very good.

I said 4x6 but it is actually 4.5x7.9 not much bigger but I went off the advice here, "each chicken needs 2 square feet in the coup" My coup gives them almost three. How big should it be? I have two roosting bars one higher than the other. I haven't made the nesting boxes yet but I was going to have three 12"x12" and one 6"x6" for my bantams.

 

[chickendreams24]

Each chicken should have 4 square feet of room. Bantams can have a little less but those numbers are there to use as a minimum guideline. More than 4 feet per bird is better.