Witness 1st mating attempt!

[mlahodik]

OK, so I never planned on keeping him, but he's too darn handsome. My girls are older and started laying. I just witnessed my 16 week old blue Ameraucana mating and she submitted. The thing is that with 5 girls laying I have no idea exactly who's laying what. She's a golden comet and just started laying recently.
Question is that growing up I always heard people say that "if a rooster steps on a hen she'll lay the next day" it's a Spanish saying.
How do you all keep track of who is laying what? I know my EEs are laying pink and blue, my austrolops brown. I'm guessing the comets eggs are light brown?

My other ameraucanas are the same age as him aren't laying yet.

I'm going to want to hatch ameraucana eggs to see what I get for maybe 4h and selling it they are quality.
I just don't know how to set this up since I only planned on pullets/eggs. Hehe! Tia

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Well, I can guarantee mating a young pullet doesn't mean she'll start laying the next day. Or if have 12 week olds laying constantly

 

[ChicNmom]

He is mating her because he knows she is now fertile. When the others get to that point he will also mate them.

 

[aart]

A good cock/erel will only try to mate with a ready to lay female.
Kinda rare to have a young male that behaves that way, they usually want to try to mate everything.

How do you all keep track of who is laying what? I know my EEs are laying pink and blue, my austrolops brown. I'm guessing the comets eggs are light brown?

Sounds about right, but you may have to 'catch them in the act' to know for sure who is laying what.

 

[mlahodik]

Definitely, I now have witnessed him. Mating the other hens that are laying.
I can't wait to have my pure bred ameraucanas reach laying age, I am kind of eggcited about promoting the breed in my area.

 

[K0k0shka]

"if a rooster steps on a hen she'll lay the next day" it's a Spanish saying.

The key here is "rooster". Not a cockerel. A cockerel is young, inexperienced and rocked by hormones. Like aart said, a young cockerel is a teenager and will try to mate with everything. A rooster has had his hormones settle, and is approaching things from a more practical standpoint. He knows better and will be better at figuring out if a pullet/hen is fertile and worth his effort.

 

[Ginmary]

When my Serama roo was young, his favorite partner was my daughter's slipper... while she was wearing it of course!