What Age do Bantums become Broody?

[jaydannaduval]

In June, I got a D'uccle hen for which replaced a chicken I had lost. initially I wanted to put her in with my Amber Link hens, but they were not nice to her and never accepted her into their clan. Long story short, I ended up getting the matching Roo from the same woman I got the hen from.They absolultely love each other and are perfectly happy in their small A frame coop.

My questions is, when do bantam roosters become sexually mature, and when do bantams start laying eggs/become broody? My hopes are to breed the two and try to get some more D'uccles to add to my clan.

I know that the friend I got the hen from received her in early May, and about 2 weeks later, received the Roo. The hen has been "clucking" for about a month, while the roo is about half 'peep' ing and half normal.

Also, I understand when a hen becomes broody, she wont leave the nest. Is my hen still too young to be broody? She is always in the run with the rooster during the day, and hasn't started laying yet, so she isn't always "sitting".

Let me know your thoughts!

Thanks!

 

[jaydannaduval]

Anybody?

 

[countrygoddess]

How old are they?

 

[countrygoddess]

OK, so your girl has been clucking for a month and your boy is still half peeping. I'm going to say about 9 or 10 weeks for the girl and 8 weeks-ish for your boy. Your girl isn't a hen yet, she's a pullet. When she is about a year, she will be considered a hen (technically, it has to do with how long she has been laying and when her first moult is after the commencement of laying). Your boy is a cockerel until he is one and also sexually mature (historically, chicks hatched in the spring and were procreating the following spring) and then he will be a cock. I have d'Uccles and they started laying at about the same time as my Easter Eggers, so 18-20 weeks. Expect your boy to practice his first croaky crows at about 10 weeks.

 

[countrygoddess]

Maybe even 7 weeks for your boy...

 

[jaydannaduval]

The woman I got both of them from got them as peeps in early may. I didn't pick them up till they were fully feathered in june. So they are at least 15-20 weeks now.

 

[jaydannaduval]

II noticed this am that the male no longer is peeping and is starting to sound more mature (this may have happened a while ago) but I just noticed it today!

 

[countrygoddess]

I would expect your girl to start laying in the next couple of weeks. And I bet you'll start hearing crowing from you boy any time now, too. I can't remember when my d'Uccle girls went broody. Probably in the spring. Up to that point, they just laid their eggs and left the nest. But when they went broody, they really meant it. It was hard to break them of it. They would be awesome for hatching out whatever eggs you slid under them. Here's Sharpy crowing his sweet little heart out!

 

[jaydannaduval]

What a handsome boy! So is broodiness seasonal? Should I be taking her eggs away when she lays or will that ruin her broodiness? Id like to get some peeps out of her if I can! (No rush as to when but id like to!)

 

[jaydannaduval]

I ggot a bunch of really good crows out of my little boy today! Yay! I guess I jinxed it by posting