Total newbie ? re: mating

[sevenofus]

Hello - Do chickens have "seasons" or if at anytime a rooster is left alone with a hen can you assume her upcoming eggs will be fertile?

More info. in case it's needed:

About 9 months ago we got 5 chicks just to raise for eggs and then 2 silkies because we thought they were cute. In the months to come it became obvious (even to us

that one of the silkies is a rooster. The female silkie just hatched 4 chicks from eggs that belonged to our Wyandotte. I must admit this was a huge surprise to us as we hadn't seen any action and I didn't realize he could mate with the bigger hens. We new the silkie was broody but just let her do her thing without worrying about the eggs. My husband is now finding a new home for the rooster. But after seeing those new chicks I really would like chicks from the 2 silkies before the rooster is gone. It has to look like an accident though! :0

Thanks!

 

[alicefelldown]

No, there is no "heat" or "season" for chickens. Roosters are good to go aaalllll the time. Hens? not nearly as much lol.

If the rooster is gone you have about 2 weeks before you lose significant viability in the eggs.

Good luck with your future silkie babies!

 

[Ariel301]

Why do you need to get rid of your rooster? Can you not have him where you live?

 

[sevenofus]

Oh so they're like the rest of us?!?

Sorry for this next question but the hen is at the mercy of the rooster right? She doesn't have to "be in the mood" right?

Even though our rooster is a very cute fluffy boy he is very aggresive with our small children. Our older daughter takes a firm stance with him but we have small children that it's just not worth him pecking at them and one of our daughters is really afraid of him now so he's definitely established "boss of her". Since they are all free range she sees him every time she walks outside. I don't really see the point in keeping him if we just have to keep him caged up. Our neighbor wants him but I'm thinking he'll just come back over???

 

[gritsar]

My roo is 2 years old. He has times when he wants to mate more than others. He rarely mates a hen all winter. He didn't mate the hens when he was molting. Now it's springtime and boy is he ever mating the hens!

 

[95yj]

like most birds "mating season" is in early spring - early summer depending on where you are, but the roosters will mate the hens and produce fertile eggs all year. Its just alot more intense in the spring. Also roosters tend to fight alot more during mating season, two roosters that live together perfectly fine all year long may start fighting during mating season. (my tiny bantam oeg rooster got into a three way fight with my golden pheasant male and a massive wild tom turkey, they were all on different sides of wire and i had to break them up with a hockey stick)