How old are roosters when start mating?

[alexa009]

What is the average age for roosters to start mating hens. Ours is only 9 weeks that we our pretty sure is a cockerel. It will always go after the pullets to show its boss. Sometimes attack them. Would like to know when start mating because we don't want a rooster in the flock especially if fertilized eggs. Don't want the hens trying to hatch them!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Most roosters start mating around 4 months, some earlier, some later. You can eat fertilized eggs. A hen doesn't need a rooster to go broody, which is a desire to hatch eggs, that's an individual thing. If you don't want a rooster, don't keep him, especially if he's causing chaos and harassing your pullets like you say he is. I would remove him.

 

[Pork Pie]

Most roosters start mating around 4 months, some earlier, some later. You can eat fertilized eggs. A hen doesn't need a rooster to go broody, which is a desire to hatch eggs, that's an individual thing. If you don't want a rooster, don't keep him, especially if he's causing chaos and harassing your pullets like you say he is. I would remove him.

Agreed. The only reason that I keep a cock bird is for breeding. Once I've hatched what I need - the cock bird goes.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

What is the average age for roosters to start mating hens. Ours is only 9 weeks that we our pretty sure is a cockerel. It will always go after the pullets to show its boss. Sometimes attack them. Would like to know when start mating because we don't want a rooster in the flock especially if fertilized eggs. Don't want the hens trying to hatch them!

Whether you have a rooster or whether you don't have a rooster in your flock will make no difference in whether or not if your hens become broody. Hens take to their nests and begin setting whether there is a male in the flock or not. The presence of a rooster will also not result in more eggs or fewer eggs.

 

[alexa009]

Oh, thanks for telling me. Some of our hens are broody and will sit on their eggs whether we have a roo or not. Are they trying to hatch eggs when sitting on them? Or are they being protective?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Oh, thanks for telling me. Some of our hens are broody and will sit on their eggs whether we have a roo or not. Are they trying to hatch eggs when sitting on them? Or are they being protective?

If they are truly broody they are doing both.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

And those hens in your coop who are sitting are laying like ZERO eggs.

My question is, are ZERO eggs your goal?

The most cruel thing that a human can do to a chicken is to allow a hen to sit on infertile eggs.

I have seen chickens who were trained to play tick-tact-dough.

But I have never met a hen who could read the calender or tell time.

A rooster is not able to make healthy off springs until he is about about one year old. and once he is 4 years old he is over the hill in chick vitality terms.

Back to your first question, yes your hens are trying to hatch out their infertile eggs.

As a hen sits longer and longer she keeps dropping weight. This is mama nature's way of keeping the hen from crushing her eggs because the egg shells become more fragile every day that they are incubated.

A sitting hen is super-duper vulnerably to predators as well as to being bled to death by mites.

If you don't want chicks or crowing roosters then only keep hens like white leghorns who have the desire to brood or sit bred out of them.

.

 

[RoosterHuggerLiz]

Agreed. The only reason that I keep a cock bird is for breeding. Once I've hatched what I need - the cock bird goes.

I've actually kept roosters to protect my hens, the great Guardians and I kid you not one of my older roosters has killed raccoons, foxes, snakes, and even wants Gravely injured a pit bull that was attacking the hens. You can still eat fertilized eggs and if your birds are free range it's nice to have a rooster but if your area does not allow it and you just don't want to take care of one it's best to re-home it or cook it before 18 weeks