Young rooster just starting treading hens-fertility probability????/

[chfriedmam]

Hi, I have 2 roosters who are 20 wks old. They have just (in the last 2 weeks) started making lame attempts to treat the mature hens in my flock. One is starting to gain some ground and the ladies are being nicer to him. My question is, if a rooster is starting to do this does that mean he is probably mature enough to fertilize eggs? Or do they start doing this before they are actually able to fertilize eggs?

 

[Sussex19]

Most likely they are older enough, in my opinion.

 

[Ted_Harrell]

20 weeks is about 5 months, I would probably give him another month, also this may give the hens time to warm up to him. Then try some of the ladies' eggs in the incubator. Good luck and Merry Christmas!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hi, I have 2 roosters who are 20 wks old. They have just (in the last 2 weeks) started making lame attempts to treat the mature hens in my flock. One is starting to gain some ground and the ladies are being nicer to him. My question is, if a rooster is starting to do this does that mean he is probably mature enough to fertilize eggs? Or do they start doing this before they are actually able to fertilize eggs?

I see two questions. Will the mature hens let a 20 week old cockerel mate them? From what you are saying it sounds like some of yours will. They are mature hens so you don't have the issues you could have with pullets.

Is his sperm capable of fertilizing the eggs if they have a successful mating? Almost certainly.

He may not be mating every hen but I'd consider the eggs from the hens he is mating to be fertile.

 

[chfriedmam]

20 weeks is about 5 months, I would probably give him another month, also this may give the hens time to warm up to him. Then try some of the ladies' eggs in the incubator. Good luck and Merry Christmas!

thank you. Merry Christmas to you, altho we personally are celebrating Chanukah right now at our house

 

[chfriedmam]

I see two questions. Will the mature hens let a 20 week old cockerel mate them? From what you are saying it sounds like some of yours will. They are mature hens so you don't have the issues you could have with pullets.

Is his sperm capable of fertilizing the eggs if they have a successful mating? Almost certainly.

He may not be mating every hen but I'd consider the eggs from the hens he is mating to be fertile.

Thanks. Yes, only 1-2 will let them out of 8 mature hens. Probably because they are such beauties One lays a distinctive green egg, so I've been cracking hers open and looking at them, nothing special yet. Interestingly, I've noticed the larger one with the floppy comb who was previously top dog is not as nice and the hens are calmer and follow the othe one more. the second one hops around them and talks to them more.

TY

 

[PopoMyers]

Thanks. Yes, only 1-2 will let him out of 8 mature hens. Probably because they are such beauties One lays a distinctive green egg, so I've been cracking hers open and looking at them, nothing special yet. Interestingly, I've noticed the larger one with the floppy comb who was previously top dog is not as nice and the hens are calmer and follow the othe one more. the second one hops around them and talks to them more.

TY

I also have 2 x 20 wk. cockerels, and getting eggs with the fertile bullseye spot on the yolk. You should be getting them anytime soon. In my observation only the dominant one has been successful on some of the hens/ pullets. He hasn't quite got the balancing act down 100%. If you do get fertile eggs, the sperm can stay active in the female for a month. I had a cockerel die this past summer and was still getting fertile eggs for that long afterwards.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Each chicken has its own personality, boys and girls. Some mature hens will squat for anything in spurs (I know your cockerels are so young they don't have spurs yet but just saying) but many are more demanding for the potential father of their chicks. Some mature hens run away from cockerels, some fight back and scare the immature boys. The dominant hen will often knock an immature cockerel off of another hen he is trying to mate to show them both that she is the dominant one.

Sometimes it can get pretty violent when the boys go through puberty, sometimes it is pretty calm. You just never know for sure. But if you pay attention it can be really interesting.

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

channukah sameach @chfriedmam

 

[chfriedmam]

channukah sameach @chfriedmam

TY, same to you if you celebrate Chanukah!