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Birds--General/hens and roosters

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Expert: Abi - 8/11/2008


Question
i recentley bought 2 hens and a rooster in the hope of breeding and also to get eggs although i know how to look after them and what to feed them etc i do not no when they should be laying eggs and if there are any tell tale signs if they are breeding with each other they seem to get along well and my rooster has started making noises. they are roughley 2 and a half months old
thanks for your help
bernice

Answer
Chickens are at the point of lay at about 16 to 18 weeks, which means they are also ready to breed. Your hens are a little too young to be breeding yet so you'll need to wait till they're laying eggs and your rooster is harassing them for them to breed.

Thanks for your question.

Birds--General

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Abi

Expertise

I CAN'T ANSWER QUESTIONS ON ANIMALS OTHER THAN CHICKENS/DUCKS/GEESE- I WILL TRY BUT THEY ARE NOT MY SPECIALIST SUBJECT- PLEASE DO NOT ASK ME QUESTIONS ABOUT BUDGIES, FINCHES, PARROTS, COCKATIELS OR OTHER 'EXOTIC' BIRDS. I can answer questions on pretty much all CHICKEN breeds, including fancy and bantam birds. I can give advice on how to get the best egg production, brightest yolk colours and darkest egg shell colours, breeding (using broody hens, not incubators), bird problems/illnesses. I can give advice on all aspects of basic chicken care but I breed chickens for my own pleasure only, I do not often show or sell my birds.

Experience

I own and breed a wide range of chickens, but I speciallise in cochins and crevecour bantams; crevecours have a large crest (an afro!) so I can answer questions on problems concerning them; cochins have feathered legs, which leads to no end of problems which I have experienced! I also own a large flock of domestic, rescued 'battery' hens, and a single maran hen, Hilda, who is the matriarch of her flock, so I can give advice on how to get the best colour of maran eggs!

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