How old are Roosters when they start getting........Randy!

Chicka-Dee · **Joined:** Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:12 am **Posts:** 1194

Okay....

So I'm curious about how old roosters are when they start looking at hens as a little more than "friends" and start looking at them as "friends with benefits" lol. [smilie=a_rolling.gif]

Are they at the point when they start crowing (say about 6months) or are they a lot older say 12 months?

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

Our boys started to crow at a queer "Cock a doodle ooh ooh" at 8 weeks, Muffy who lived on a farm with doves for a while crows a "Coo Coo Coo", their father Mr. Rooster crowed at 12 weeks sounded like a boy soprano, he still does.

Wheezy and Muffy are flirting with Lady Frances, dropping their wings and sparring in front of her, they are 15 weeks old now. Their mother pecks them on their combs and growls at them, she even managed to pluck Wheezy's lovely long tail feathers out from his behind through the mesh, I think she still remembers her boys fighting over Lady Frances and Wheezy going AWOL. The girls and boys free range separately as I do not want they boys with their mother, it is just not right

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=17719

Chicka-Dee · **Joined:** Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:12 am **Posts:** 1194

8WEEKS! O

Oh wow. That's early!

So I notice Sedbucks said "they see her as their mother up until maturity then she's just another hen to them".

How old is maturity?

And does that mean they can actually fertalise a hens eggs at 8 weeks....or do they just start displaying manly attributes (crowing, puffing their chests, dropping their wings etc...) but can't actually produce "the goods" until maturity...whenever that is.

Rhode Red · **Posted:** Thu Apr 12, 2012 9:04 pm

It all depends on the breed. Many of the bantams are "working" around 3-4 months. Ususlly they crow before this. The larger breeds take much longer even up to 7-8 months. RIR large cockerels generally don't start crowing until around 6 months. If you watch them grow you can notice the slight differences. Their combs and wattles start to grow getting nice and red (where they have them and are red), they have most of their adult feathers including their tails, neck and back hackle feathers (the pointy ones). You will noitice their behaviour change, as mentioned the hens will start to accept their advances, opposed to trying to fight with them. You will nitice they will have filled out and put some weight on and start looking like a real rooster. Generally they are always more dominate over the pullets (often their sisters), who are generally more mature and may be close to or laying by the time the boys start working.

RR

Chicka-Dee · **Joined:** Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:12 am **Posts:** 1194

Thanks RR

That was great feedback. I like your term "working" lol.

Lots of information I can glean from that.

Cheers
Chicka-Dee

Hens and Hobbits · **Posted:** Fri Apr 13, 2012 8:20 am

In the absence of POL/laying sisters, would the company of older hens influence lets say a more rapid rate of the development for a young cockerel and his "working" maturity?

Rhode Red · **Posted:** Fri Apr 13, 2012 9:10 am

Generally the older hens tend to boss the boys, including around the feed tray. This is fact may actually slow them down a little. As the boys start to win over the hens, usually the lowest ranked ones they soon start to express their dominance. Chicka-Dee glad to hear you like my term "working". It actually comes from my grandfather, who used it with his cattle. In that you bought a bull to produce calves (hence on the job and "working"). A lot of people only have a rooster to produce their chickens, hence he is there to work.

RR

buffy the sussex · **Posted:** Fri Apr 13, 2012 5:13 pm

Any body know when a buff sussex starts "working"? I'm giving my 7 and a half month old cockerel away and they might want a good breedable rooster....(excuse any bad terms I use) he already mounts the hens but will their eggs be fertile?

LiseyD · **Posted:** Mon Apr 16, 2012 9:50 am

And info on Pekins? Poor old Fluffy the young cockerel seems to be intimidated by our girls. He has started to crow (quietly - such a gentleman) but no dropping of the wing or other flirting (maybe my girls arent interested because Fluffy the duck keeps hassling them and he just doens't stack up :lol:

). Just added up he is 16 weeks but still looks so tiny compared to the pekins we saw at the Easter Show.

Chicka-Dee · **Joined:** Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:12 am **Posts:** 1194

Petite Poulet wrote:

The girls and boys free range separately as I do not want they boys with their mother, it is just not right

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=17719

You know PP, I've been looking into this and aparantly the boy with their mum or girl with their dad is line breeding.

I don't do any breeding, but eventually I would like to so am doing research now.

Muffy or wheezy with their mum might not be so bad!

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