Rooster question

[muddler6]

I have a question about when rooster hit that magical age when they start breeding the hens. Mine is the ripe old age of about 13 or 14 weeks and I have two girls that just started laying, they are a little older. When will they start making little ones?

 

[Tuffoldhen]

You mean when will your cockeral start mating and fertilizing the eggs?.....Maturity hits different breeds of roosters differently...I'd say by 6 months of age he should be doing the deed....but that doesn't mean chicks are on the way unless you check fertility and hatch some with a hen or incubator...

 

[speckledhen]

Mating activity can start long before they're fertile. I have an Ameraucana boy who began doing that at nine weeks old! I was astonished. Naturally, he wasnt fertile till he was around 20 weeks old or so.

 

[muddler6]

Thanks for the info, and I will try and get my terminology correct next time. (When does a Cockeral become a Rooster?) Anyhow, I was just hoping by March or April to start hatching out some youngin's. A friend of mine has an incubator (and I have a bid on one on e-bay, keep your fingers crossed for me!)

 

[Tuffoldhen]

A rooster is considered a cockeral until he is a year old...

So by next Spring you should have a mature rooster fertilizing your hens eggs and an addiction to hatching chicks !!!.....

Fingers crossed to add you to our chicken addicting habits!!.....