mating hens

February 21, 2008

how do you know a hen is in the mating mood?

if i stood in my hens section, and i look at my hens what do i look for?

to know she wants to mate?

and then if i go to my cocks secton, is a cock that dances in mating mood?

right?

February 21, 2008

? :-/

February 21, 2008

I don't think it can be as simple as just looking at a bird. They behave totally dfferently when they see a bird of the opposite sex. Put a cock on the floor in the hens' section and watch the hens burst into life. Wouldn't try the same thing with a hen in the cocks' section though just put a hen where they can see it ... and note the reactions.

February 21, 2008

ok so what do you look for? my hens can actualy hear and see my cocks! for the past little while now,

so if i put a cock with the hens and a hen seems intrested is it ok to mate them right up?

Peckedhen · February 21, 2008

Pick the cock and hen you wish to pair, put them together on an empty loft floor and watch how the cock sweeps the floor with his tail and spins and coos at the hen. If she accepts him she will walk tall and proud and nod her head at him. You can then lock them in the nest box together - I always put in a 2.5 litre paint tin so that the hen can go onto it to escape the cocks attentions if he becomes over amorous. That's all I know. maybe some of the more experienced members will give you better advice.

chubs · February 21, 2008

I'm having probs at minute with the new hen stock birds i've aquired , out of 3 poss pairs i have one lot paired! & i could tell as soon as these were put together it was 'on' , the other 2 just seem not interested, only yearlings though...bloody women.

February 22, 2008

ok, i have my coks in my breeding loft, 17 cocks, and most of them have a box picked out for themselfs.

and others dont,

i have no nest front, now if i mate my birds up, and take them apart so they dont breed, then later on when its warmer let the hens in all at the same time,

is that ok? will their be alot of fighting, as most coks have a nest box already,

February 22, 2008

I think I misunderstood your original question.

If you are asking 'how can I tell if the hen is interested in the cock I've given her?' then yes there are signs there to see. The first is what appears to be a couple of nervous swallows or gulps, as if to say 'like wow' ; then there's nodding of the head as if to say 'yes please', then the feathers between her back and her tail stand up, and she'll jump at or sweep toward the cock, crowing all the while. If she just stands there or worse still, throws a couple of pecks at the cock, then she isn't interested in him.

Think you'll have a job without nest fronts. Settling birds to their boxes is a two-bird thing. Cocks are settled first, months before the hens are introduced. Then the hens have to be penned up with their cocks over a few days, the birds are released one box at a time and the hen usually find the box by following their cock back to the box.

If you have a hen that was paired with another cock last year, you'll have bother with her going back to that cock's box. If you have a cock that's too aggressive toward the hen, she won't stay in the box and she'll attract other cocks out of their box. So no nest fronts - a bit of a nightmare getting the pairs settled.

February 24, 2008

i have a few birds i had mated with other cocks, but im mating them with the same cocks again,

doo.racer · February 25, 2008

Stand a brick on end against the back of the nest box. The hen can get up out of the road of the cock and there is only room for one pigeon. Saves the hen from any damage