Understanding George and his Girlfriends!

[krista74]

Hi all A month and a half ago I bought my very first chickens - a BO Cockerel called George (who is super friendly and very funny!), 4 RIR chickens and 2 BO chickens. I was told when I bought them that the chickens were 'nearly ready to lay for the first time' but as it's the start of winter I was not expecting to see any eggs until the spring. Anyway, 'someone' surprised me, and for the past two weeks we've been getting one, perfect egg every day. I had assumed it was one of the RIR's but this morning I went to the coop early and my sweet BO chicken was sitting in the nesting box with a freshly laid egg under her! I was so excited when she raced out to tell me all about it! Now, my question is in regard to mating and egg laying. George has been very 'active' with that particular BO chicken of late - I see him mount her every hour or so, and her feathers are a little ruffled! For the first time today she even let me pat her back as she walked by. Will George mate all the birds in the coop, or will he only mate with those who are laying/about to lay eggs? I am trying to determine when they might all start laying, or is it normal for them not to want to start laying for the first time in winter? No-one is laying anywhere else as far as I can tell - I did a careful sweep of their whole coop and run. Everyone is healthy, happy and active with a well-balanced diet. Thanks for your help. Krista.

 

[chooks4life]

Hi all A month and a half ago I bought my very first chickens - a BO Cockerel called George (who is super friendly and very funny!), 4 RIR chickens and 2 BO chickens. I was told when I bought them that the chickens were 'nearly ready to lay for the first time' but as it's the start of winter I was not expecting to see any eggs until the spring. Anyway, 'someone' surprised me, and for the past two weeks we've been getting one, perfect egg every day. I had assumed it was one of the RIR's but this morning I went to the coop early and my sweet BO chicken was sitting in the nesting box with a freshly laid egg under her! I was so excited when she raced out to tell me all about it! Now, my question is in regard to mating and egg laying. George has been very 'active' with that particular BO chicken of late - I see him mount her every hour or so, and her feathers are a little ruffled! For the first time today she even let me pat her back as she walked by.

Will George mate all the birds in the coop, or will he only mate with those who are laying/about to lay eggs?

Depends how instinctive he is and how anti- or pro-rooster they are. Naturally, a hen's sexual maturity is attractive to a rooster, but we've muddled around with all manner of natural instincts for thousands of years. Hens in flocks on poor diets may never gain the red comb/wattles natural to a healthy hen, but remain pink, so roosters have adapted to that. Now with most roosters it's the size of the comb etc more than whether it's red, and that's particularly true for roosters raised with hens of black skin or other colors.

Chances are George will mate with all of them. As he gets more experienced he will understand when a hen is in her prime fertile periods, if he has enough instinct, and will focus on that hen specifically. Also, instinctive hens will make a certain vocalization when planning a clutch to brood, by which I mean going into that hormonal state, and that brings the boys flocking. Hens who routinely reject males can end up mateless if the roosters have willing mates to be with instead. If he's a nice natured rooster and doesn't harm them he shouldn't have a lack of willing females because they're not commercial type layers which are often rooster-hostile.

I am trying to determine when they might all start laying, or is it normal for them not to want to start laying for the first time in winter? No-one is laying anywhere else as far as I can tell - I did a careful sweep of their whole coop and run. Everyone is healthy, happy and active with a well-balanced diet. Thanks for your help. Krista.

They don't lay when they want to, they lay when their bodies reach that part of the cycle; it's not voluntary. If they hatched at such a time of year as to reach point of lay during winter, that's when they will lay.

I think there may be some breed traits in some breeds, or some biological mechanisms in some family lines, that may prevent some hens laying in very cold temperatures but I'm not completely sure yet, still researching.

I keep hens hatched in winter as well as hens hatched in summer so I get eggs all year round. If you breed your hen soon after she starts laying and keep any daughters you get, by the time they reach point of lay, their mother will be ready to moult or brood or take a seasonal break. Then the daughters will lay, until they're ready for their moult/brood/break, and when they reach that point, the mother will be ready to take up laying again. That's the very least you can expect. In reality chances are both mother and daughters will be laying in seasons that overlap one anothers'.

Best wishes.

 

[Fancychooklady]

It's not uncommon for a rooster to have a favorite hen. Not all breeds start laying at the same age. Weather , breed ,protein levels and molting are just a few things that can slow the laying process down. Ideally you want your birds to be to be at point of lay coming into their first spring for optimum egg production. I time my youngsters to hatch sometime in July so that they are POL in October which is coming into the warmer months here. Young roosters can be a bit brutal when they first start mating and if you feel that he is ' over mating ' your BO , then you could either separate him from the girls for a while or take her out and give her a break. Another alternative is a ' roo saddle ' , designed to protect the hens back. Star combed chooks generally don't lay consistantly throughout winter, where as rose comb, eg Wyandotte do.

 

[krista74]

Hmm, thank you for your replies. I think he may now start leaving her alone now as she has gone broody all of a sudden! She has only been laying for one month and now refuses to get out of her nest. Hubby is coming home shortly to attempt to remove the egg - she doesn't want to let it go! He is a brave man....