Rooster

[White leghorn farmer]

How long does it take a rooster to start breeding.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! Different breeds and individuals mature at different rates, there's no one answer here. A cockerel typically develops his breed and sex specific feathering, comb color, and 'boyish' behaviors over several months, and will attempt matings during that time, unless senior mature roosters manage him very well.
Sometime during all this he will become a fertile breeding male, but there's no 'magic moment' that's the same for all of them.
Mary

 

[White leghorn farmer]

Wh

Welcome! Different breeds and individuals mature at different rates, there's no one answer here. A cockerel typically develops his breed and sex specific feathering, comb color, and 'boyish' behaviors over several months, and will attempt matings during that time, unless senior mature roosters manage him very well.
Sometime during all this he will become a fertile breeding male, but there's no 'magic moment' that's the same for all of them.
Mary

What about white Longhorns
I have 2 white leghorn roosters at about 4 months old they have "boyish" behaviors and they are in the same coop with mature hens. Would the eggs the hens lay be fertalized

 

[cmom]

I agree. When they start crowing they usually start trying to mount the females. My youngsters have just recently started to try to crow and I have noticed them chasing the pullets and trying to mate them. I don't know how fertile they are but they are going to be moved shortly to their own breeding pens with the females I choose for them. The pullets have just started to lay (I hatched late in 2018). The eggs are small so I won't attempt to hatch chicks from them until the eggs get larger. My older females are on a partial strike. I want the males to be in with the females I choose for them for around a month so I will know the chicks hatched will be from the birds in the coops I get the eggs from. I hope this makes sense.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I've seen very early attempt that are unsuccessful. Generally roosters will start to seriously try to mate around 4 months, or a bit older. But they are all different with lots of factors affecting it.

 

[Folly's place]

Up here I don't set up breeding groups until spring, so mine are all running around in one combined flock for now.
Mary

 

[cmom]

Up here I don't set up breeding groups until spring, so mine are all running around in one combined flock for now.
Mary

I don't blame you. I'm originally from Traverse City but have been in Florida most of my life. I do staggered hatches. I had my first flock when I was still in TC around 50 years ago.

 

[Folly's place]

You can open and check eggs to see if any have been fertilized, and plan on trying to hatch (is that your plan?) after many/ most are fertilized.
Generally, fertility increases in spring. Where are you located?
Mary