Rooster mating

[DanyyChicken]

I'm new to chickens and got my first flock in May. We decided to keep one bantam rooster a salmon favorelle cross. He is in with another bantam hen and five standards which include an Amberlink, Golden Comet, BR, and two EE's. Only the amberlink and golden comet are currently laying the others are still not matured enough yet. The eggs we have been getting do look fertile. My question is in regards to mating.
Do the roosters mate with the hens all year round? Or is there a season where they are particularly more active...say springtime? I have yet to see my birds mate while I have been out there in the yard. I have only seen one instance from my window of him mating the golden comet.
When ever I visit the poultry program at SPCA the hens are always getting jumped by the Roos but that is not happening within my view in my coop. I was just curious? This rooster we did keep is pretty mello compared to the others we had to give away. Maybe he doesn't have a high sex drive? He pretty nice right now by my accounts. They are all approx. 24 weeks old???

 

[fshinggrl]

It sounds as if you have a very gentleman like rooster. That is great!

 

[chickmashnoon]

Sometimes, if your rooster is very respectful of you and belives you are top bird he will not mate with the hens in front of you. Whether it is gentlemanly or he is just worried about getting his butt kicked by a more dominant roo, no one will really know but him. More aggressive and assertive roosters will jump on hens as soon as they see you in order to prove they can. It is a way to show their dominance and put it in any any other birds face that THIS flock of hens is HIS.

If you have seen him mating with one when he didn't know you were watching and he's not agressive to you, he may just consider you top bird. Count your blessings!

 

[DanyyChicken]

Thanks for your replies but I am still curious will they mate thru the winter or do they take a rest until spring?

 

[CCourson05]

Its an all year thing. They aren't like Peafowl, who won't mate through the winter because the male loses his attractiveness. Lol.

 

[MontanaChickenLady]

My little Silkie roo.......Simon (was Sugar until we discovered he's a roo)

was mounting the hens (they are much larger than he is) whether I was in the run with them or not. He didn't care if he was at my feet mounting a hen. Lately though, he hasn't been doing that when I'm around. He's a good roo and a nice little chicken. I just started with my flock in April so this will be our first winter together.

 

[gritsar]

With every roo I have had I've noticed that they are less active in the mating dept. during late fall and in the wintertime. Most active in spring. Also, not active much at all during their molt.