Young rooster behavior

[carriewyo]

I have an 8 month old blue copper maran roo along side a 2 year old OE roo. They get along great I have about 30 hens as well who all free range and get along. My question is I am wanting to use my younger roo with a few copper Maran hens this spring but he is not showing any interest in the hens and he as not even crowed or tried to crow yet. He was sick about 3 months ago and now that he is better I am waiting for him to mature. Could him being sick set him back in terms of maturing? Or is he acting this way because of the older roo?

 

[Pyxis]

He is probably deferring to the older rooster if that one is dominant. If you want to use him over those hens I would suggest setting up a breeding pen that is just him and them so he feels confident about mating them. You'll need to do this anyway if you want the egg to be pure. He is probably mating with them sneakily when possible when the other rooster isn't watching.

This time of year their hormones are also not flowing quite so much, so that's probably playing a role too. Expect him to show more interest when the days get longer and his hormones are flowing more.

Also, just to let you know and since you want to be breeding them, it is marans with the 's' on it all the time, no matter whether talking about one bird or one hundred. They are named after Marans, France, so the breed name ends with an 's'

 

[aart]

He is probably deferring to the older rooster if that one is dominant. If you want to use him over those hens I would suggest setting up a breeding pen that is just him and them so he feels confident about mating them. You'll need to do this anyway if you want the egg to be pure. He is probably mating with them sneakily when possible when the other rooster isn't watching.

This time of year their hormones are also not flowing quite so much, so that's probably playing a role too. Expect him to show more interest when the days get longer and his hormones are flowing more.

Also, just to let you know and since you want to be breeding them, it is marans with the 's' on it all the time, no matter whether talking about one bird or one hundred. They are named after Marans, France, so the breed name ends with an 's'

This can take up to a month, I'd go the full 4 weeks to clear any sperm from the other cockbird.

What was he 'sick' with and how did you treat, if you did treat?
What pullets/hens will you cross this Marans with?

Oh, and, Welcome to BYC!

 

[carriewyo]

Thanks for the input.

He had a little but of a runny nose so I gave him vetrx and some electrolytes in his wateroom and I had him isolated. It took just a few days and he was perked back up, no runny nose. I kept him isolated for a week after his symptoms cleared. He is doing great now so not sure what happened to him.

I plan on breeding him to a blue copper marans hen, a black copper marans hen, a couple of ameraucanas and an OE hen. I'm just trying to raise a few pure bred marans for myself and a neighbor. I just love their coloring and the dark eggs are a bonus!