When do cockerels start getting 'personal' with hens??

[horseychick2]

I was wondering how old a cockerel can be to start fertilizing eggs. Does anyone know?

 

[Cattitude]

They start getting cocky way before the pullets start being willing.

 

[twister]

approx 18-20 weeks... and YES, Ditto--- way before the pullets are willing.

 

[speckledhen]

Well, they can start getting personal way before they become fertile! They usually become fertile between 16-18 weeks of age, but sometimes, they engage in mating activity way before that, like my 10 week old cockerel mating his very patient broody mama, LOL.

 

[Farm_Maven]

Quote:
That's just wrong......naughty boy, lol.

 

[horseychick2]

lol Thanks! I have an 11 wk cockerel and wanted to know when i could get little chicks if i had laying hens.

 

[debid]

Trying and succeeding are two different things.

I've read that fertility becomes reliable at 5-6 months but if you see him before then making the delivery...

 

[m_shuman]

Mine wanted to "fertilize" eggs at about 14 weeks. I had to seperate them from the girls because they were rather mean about it too. After the girls reached 20 weeks I put one boy back in with them and decided to keep the other in my yard as a "guard Chicken!"

 

[horseychick2]

Yea he's already tried to lol

 

[Sailing Dede]

Speckled hen, I had the same thing happen with my last batch that hatched. 5 chicks, 3 boys, one obviously more dominant.
He also happened to be the largest of the young cocks.
When I was doing the rounds one evening I heard a terriable panicked sqwark comming from the broody cage.
When I turned round to see what was going on I was shocked at what I saw.
The dominant 6 week old roo had mounted his mother!
When he eventually got off she raised herself up, standing tall above him and pecked his little head 3 times, each time making him go lower and lower to the ground.
As it turned out his punishment wasn't severe enough, as 10 minutes later the exact same process repeated. Including the indignified head pecking.
I think his only saving grace is that he is a legbar hatched out by a peking/cochin bantam, so they are not related by blood.
So only a bit disturbing. He must be picking things up from all the big roos on the field