Sexual Maturity of BO Roo?

[gritsar]

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What I said was, IF the hen is laying and she's been with the rooster. I understood it to be that the rooster was the same age as the hens. Therefore if the hens are old enough to lay, the rooster is plenty old enough to be fertile.

 

[Mom2Cool]

Quote:
What I said was, IF the hen is laying and she's been with the rooster. I understood it to be that the rooster was the same age as the hens. Therefore if the hens are old enough to lay, the rooster is plenty old enough to be fertile.

Hi cajunlizz. Actually the hen that is now laying eggs is a Black Austrolorp who is slightly older than the the Buff Orpingtons which group the Roo is a part of. My Miss Chicky just started laying eggs like 2 & 1/2 weeks ago. (16 days total to be exactly & she's given me 13 eggs so far not bad huh?) Anyway the Austrolorp was the sole survivlor of the original group of 4 I'd gotten in the spring who over time the other 3 were victims of the bears attacks happening in my area. She's about 9 wks older than the Orpingtons who are about 16/17 wks now really. I'm sorry I swear the older I get it seems like the time goes faster & faster that I'm always weeks behind on the calendar. LOL Mother said this would happen one day. Feels like we should be just done with Halloween. LOL Anyway so the tim could be off by a day or two but I think the roo is about 17 wks now. He has started to practice using his voice & so I imagine he's got to have some kind of raging hormones like an teen..... LOL

 

[MissPrissy]

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It is very possible for a cockeral this age to be fertile.

In some breeds it does take a while to get them up to speed but for the average barnyard varieties they often are quite prolific at early ages.

I have had the eggs in the past to prove it.

If he is mounting them he very well may be fertile.

 

[Reinbeau]

Here is my BO roo at 26 weeks, not the best picture, but it shows how tall and handsome he is:

He wasn't very happy with the snow, put him right off snuggling with any of the ladies!

 

[Mom2Cool]

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He does look annoyed there LOL But he sure is a handsome guy....

 

[Mom2Cool]

big old update on the sexual maturity of my BO Roo..... I don't know about "fertility" but it's VERY clear that my Roo is now annoying the hell out of the chickens. And in true male form he waits until the coldest night/day of the season so far to decide he's going to harrass? I couldn't understand why the Austrolorp pullet was so angry today & almost mean to the BO pullets... I'd seen her actuall chase after the BO Roo at one point this morning before I'd opened up the coop but earlier I went out to straighten a few things in their coop & the Roo came out into the outdoor enclsure area & tried to mount one of the BO pullets. Now they're not laying eggs yet should I be pulling him out of there? there's 5 pullet hens 4 of which are the BO's & 1 that is the Austrolorp who is about 8 or 9 wks older than the BO's so she's laying already for a few weeks now.