Unsecure chicken perches

[karlotta]

12 weeks ago I hatched 4 pekins, a pekin/silkie cross and a dutch bantam. The two boys Pekin Elvis, and Pekin/silkie Bert have been crowing (at varying degrees of croakyness!) for about 4 weeks now. For the last 5/6 days I've been letting them out with the rest of the bant girls after work (so about 4 hours max and after they have filled up on growers in the day!) and they are all getting on rather nicely together! (apart from resident trouble maker Gladys (poland!) who is regarding them with suspicion!)

 

This afternoon I popped Molly (who's poland chicks she has now got rather bored of and has started pecking) back in the fenced bant area. After a bit of very minor chasing by some of the middle ranking girls she seemed to be accepted pretty much.

 

Bert and especially Elvis CERTAINLY welcomed her however and she became Elvis' first conquest! I'm sure Bert would have followed suit if Molly hadn't decided she'd rather not get to know him THAT well quite so quick!

 

I was a bit surprised that they are so mature already! The lower ranking girls are firmly in their sights now, while they are still rather wary of the top girls!

 

While I'm not going planning to hatch anymore this year, is it possible that a cockeral this young could be fertile too?

[Patricia W]

I would think so!