Rooster coming of age?

[Vicky2479]

Well it has finally happened, my Cochin Roo has started to crow!!! What I wanted to know is how old are roos usually when they are fertile and start smooshing the girls? I am not supposed to keep roosters but am hoping to keep him long enough to get some chicks from him, can anyone point me in the direction of some ideas for a "roo box", would a cat crate covered with a dark cloth work?

 

[Fred's Hens]

The crowing will get louder and louder. Trying to sneak a rooster into a neighborhood is a tough thing. It takes the pullets up to 24 weeks to begin to lay. Then, you'd not want to hatch their very first eggs. Those are usually small pullets eggs. Normally, one waits for the larger eggs of a more mature female.

The age at which a rooster begins to mount varies, but it is also important to realize he needs a few weeks or practice to get it right. In order to be sure you have proper fertility of most, if not all, the eggs, the rooster needs a bit of time.

All of which to say is that many roosters are exceedingly noisy. If you do manage to hatch chicks, you start all over on the rooster issue because half the chicks will be cockerels, statistically. Perhaps you might consider partnering with someone near you who can keep roosters. Work together. I'd personally recommend that buddy system as the best plan for success.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

The crowing will get louder and louder. Trying to sneak a rooster into a neighborhood is a tough thing. It takes the pullets up to 24 weeks to begin to lay. Then, you'd not want to hatch their very first eggs. Those are usually small pullets eggs. Normally, one waits for the larger eggs of a more mature female.

The age at which a rooster begins to mount varies, but it is also important to realize he needs a few weeks or practice to get it right. In order to be sure you have proper fertility of most, if not all, the eggs, the rooster needs a bit of time.

All of which to say is that many roosters are exceedingly noisy. If you do manage to hatch chicks, you start all over on the rooster issue because half the chicks will be cockerels, statistically. Perhaps you might consider partnering with someone near you who can keep roosters. Work together. I'd personally recommend that buddy system as the best plan for success.

X2 to the above. As usual, Fred's Hens gives great advice. I wouldn't try to hatch chicks in an area where I wasn't allowed to have a rooster, because of the problem that you're going to get half males.