Okay so most breeding males have lost their trains weeks ago already.Some of my 2 year old males never had a train to lose at all.With the extreme heat we had in the midwest for over 2 months it seemed like when the girls went on their first laying strike it took a very long time to get them going again.I know the trips carrying the crock pot made a diffrence afterall.
But I have a question--what dictates breeding? If the hens are getting ready to stop laying for awhile,,do they still allow the male to breed them? Will a hen let a male breed her even if she is done laying for the season? Does her inner clock of egg production have anything to do with allowing the male to or not to breed her? My Charcoals has been a slow uphill climb this summer.While out taking pics today for Zazouse again,,I noticed my Charcoal male breeding a b/s split to charcoal hen.She was very willing. Last week I witnessed my male Wild Thang breed a hen in his pen,,she laid an egg 2 days later that I candled last nite,no good! He hasn't had a train so to speak all summer,this being his second year,,so maybe the hens thinks all males have short-stubby-UGLY tails from being with him.
And I see old Roadtrip,the 5yr old BSSP male with only 4 long train feathers left in his tail still displaying daily and last night I gathered 3 eggs and tonight another egg from this pen.So,does a hen allow the male to breed her even if she is done producing eggs for the year? Since 2yr old males never really grows a train do they have a longer breeding season since they don't have a tail to lose? I'll know in a few days if the last 4 BSSP eggs are good,,and I'm hoping the Charcoal hen lays an egg in the next day or so.
But I have a question--what dictates breeding? If the hens are getting ready to stop laying for awhile,,do they still allow the male to breed them? Will a hen let a male breed her even if she is done laying for the season? Does her inner clock of egg production have anything to do with allowing the male to or not to breed her? My Charcoals has been a slow uphill climb this summer.While out taking pics today for Zazouse again,,I noticed my Charcoal male breeding a b/s split to charcoal hen.She was very willing. Last week I witnessed my male Wild Thang breed a hen in his pen,,she laid an egg 2 days later that I candled last nite,no good! He hasn't had a train so to speak all summer,this being his second year,,so maybe the hens thinks all males have short-stubby-UGLY tails from being with him.
And I see old Roadtrip,the 5yr old BSSP male with only 4 long train feathers left in his tail still displaying daily and last night I gathered 3 eggs and tonight another egg from this pen.So,does a hen allow the male to breed her even if she is done producing eggs for the year? Since 2yr old males never really grows a train do they have a longer breeding season since they don't have a tail to lose? I'll know in a few days if the last 4 BSSP eggs are good,,and I'm hoping the Charcoal hen lays an egg in the next day or so.
