What was the earliest age your rooster started mating

[lissalischicks]

Just curious what the earliest age your rooster started mating. I just caught my 13 week old rooster mating with his "mom." "Mom" is the one that hatched him but didn't lay the egg.... not that I think it matters. Just odd I saw him mating "mom." But back to my original question.... isn't 13 weeks early?!?!?!?!

 

[britesidefarm]

Cockerels usually start trying to breed at around 12 weeks.

 

[cherrynberry]

Well it defers for all roosters. Ours started at about 15 weeks...if I remembered correctly

 

[lissalischicks]

Cockerels usually start trying to breed at around 12 weeks.

Really?!?!?! For some reason I thought it was later! ..... he hasn't even perfected the crow yet! LOL

 

[NatJ]

There appears to be wide variation in how old a rooster needs to be, for mating or fertility.

Someone had a cockerel that was 13 weeks old when he fertilized an egg that later hatched a chick:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...to-fertilize-eggs.430252/page-2#post-11849518

Someone else had a cockerel siring chicks at 9 weeks old:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/when-does-a-rooster-become-of-age.57758/#post-15462689

But there are plenty of other anecdotes of roosters that were over 6 months old before they were successfully mating. (6 months being about 26 weeks, since the others have all been stated in weeks.)

 

[aart]

But back to my original question.... isn't 13 weeks early?!?!?!?!

Not really....and it doesn't matter 'who' the female is,
most cockerels want to dominate and mate them all.

 

[Chicken Heel]

I have found that OEG Bantam cockerels mature far quicker than any of the other breeds I have owned. My current three all began crowing at 5 weeks and wanting to mate hens at around 9 weeks. They are something to behold, especially in the mornings as they carouse through the flock.

 

[lissalischicks]

My current three all began crowing at 5 weeks and wanting to mate hens at around 9 weeks.

Well.... I swore for the last week some of the eggs looked fertilized and I just thought I was wrong. I guess not! The things we learn everyday!