When do you know?

[JodyJo]

So I just posted about my roos, another question, sorry to bother everyone, but I am new to chickens, my experience last year with 9 "pullet", turned out to be 9 roosters! My luck!

Now I have less roos and a lot more pullets!
Question: I have one RIR at about 18 weeks, the rest are at 16...the roos included, will the roo at 16 weeks, try to breed the 18 week old RIR?
What are the signs he is doing so? Sounds stupid, but he jumped her yesterday, she got away and voiced her loud opinion to his intrusion!

 

[chicmom]

Hi! A cockerel will try to mate with a pullet, even though she is a few weeks older. Can't say exactly when a young rooster feels the urge to mate, because that varies.

What they do when they mate......They will subdue the hen, sometimes by grabbing their neck feathers, and the hen sometimes runs away, but if the pullet/hen is ready to mate, she will squat down, sort of making her body flat, and he will stand on her back. You will see them very quickly touch vents. It's so quick, you really don't get a good view of this. She sort of moves her tail aside. It's over very quickly.

It can look kind of rough. As the young rooster gets more practice, they often become more gentle at it.....Some roosters are just plain mean when it comes to mating though.....(If they are too violent, I don't keep them.)

So that's my version of chicken mating....

Hope this helps!

Sharon

 

[JodyJo]

Quote:
thanks Sharon...I knew the mechanics, but wasn't sure on ages etc...she obviously didn't want to, she protested and bit him back...of course I have seen her put him in his place several times.