Success with a bantam rooster covering LF hens?

[showbarnmom]

My breeding project has 8 hens, all but 1 are LF, with 1 bantam Cochin rooster. He is mature, 1.5 yrs, and has covered the previous owners bantam hens before.

I've only seen him cover two of my hens, a BR And bantam sized mix. I am sure he is covering the others, but before I go counting my chicks before they hatch......(har-har).....

Has anyone had success with this sort of pairing? He will eventually be over 4-5 girls, only, to insure nice fertility rates.

I'm going to check fertility in my excisting eggs tomorrow, just to see how they look.

 

[chooks4life]

Bantam males, even Seramas, are often bred with LFs.

I had one precocious three week old male mating with his own mother. Obviously he was tiny at that age, but still did the deed. No issue reaching --- if he can't reach her neck and her rump at the same time he will just move further down the body. It's like a Chihuahua mating with a Saint Bernard --- if he is so determined and she is willing, it will happen, though it may happen in special circumstances like when she lays down. It's happened before. Tiny bulls from miniature breeds put in with huge cows will accompany them to a hill and stand uphill. Dwarf goats manage with full size nannies of other breeds. The list goes on...

If the female is willing, it WILL happen, it doesn't matter how tiny the male is. There are no fertility issues related to a male's size except for larger males tending to be less fertile.

Best wishes with your breeding program.