Rooster Doesn't Seem Interested?

[QuailHollow]

Gang,

How often is it that you come across a rooster who is not overly interested in breeding the hens? I have a new guy that I quarantined. He's been with the girls for about a week and a half now. While he was doing the 'wing dance' for the girls when I first placed them together, I have never seen him mount any of my hens. He's 3 years old. Do they 'relax' as they get older? Should I test hatch some of my eggs to see if they are fertile? If so, how long should I wait to ensure the hens are not 'holding' onto the previous rooster inhabitant?

He preens.. and clucks for the hens when he's found something. .. So he acts pretty normal. I've been wondering and watching for signs of illness, but haven't seen a thing. Also - he's been a caged bird for a while (if that makes a difference). Maybe he just needs time to re-learn how to be a chicken? I dunno.

Thanks.

 

[JennsPeeps]

It sounds like he's biding his time before he pounces on his "opportunity". He's still relatively new to the flock so they may not have given him the chance to mount yet. Hang in there!

 

[lowcountrypoultry]

I agree, just give him some time. He will soon come to his senses

 

[Ridgerunner]

They do slow down as they get older, but three is not old. A new bird starts at the bottom of the pecking order. He probably just needs to work his way up. Once it is his flock, he should take care of business.

 

[QuailHollow]

I hope you guys are right. He's a really beautiful bird, and I would love to get a few peeps for myself out of him.

I'll give him some time. He's obviously just a gentler bird than I'm used to.

 

[QuailHollow]

Ladies & Gentleman, I am happy to report a visual conformation of the 'deed' multiple times tonight. Yea!