Cockerel maturation timeline?

[chicChickChick]

Can anyone recommend a good article on when cockerels begin to mature and when they behavior peaks in aggressiveness/ crazy hormonal behavior?

Also is a cockerel picking at the pullets and chasing them around and harassing them but not hurting them normal ?

 

[fluffycrow]

I don't know of an article, but there's bound to be one, and someone might be able to link it for you. 7 months is where most of mine become full blown cockerels, and 1 year is when the brains start to set in. As for your second question, it's mostly to establish dominance over the females. Some are more gentle with it, others are not. The same goes for the females. Some are more tolerant of this behavior than others

 

[Saveria]

I haven't gotten through this article yet, just found it recently, so I am not sure it will have the exact info you are looking for. It is a good read, though, I'm sure.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/understanding-your-rooster.75056/

What are everyone's ages? What you are describing does sound similar to what I experienced when my first rooster came into maturity. He was thinking that he had to mate every hen there right now, and most of them had never done it before, so resisted, so he tried to force them. It was a little dramatic out there for a couple weeks, but now that it is a mixed age flock, things are pretty calm for the most part.

 

[fluffycrow]

I haven't gotten through this article yet, just found it recently, so I am not sure it will have the exact info you are looking for. It is a good read, though, I'm sure.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/understanding-your-rooster.75056/

What are everyone's ages? What you are describing does sound similar to what I experienced when my first rooster came into maturity. He was thinking that he had to mate every hen there right now, and most of them had never done it before, so resisted, so he tried to force them. It was a little dramatic out there for a couple weeks, but now that it is a mixed age flock, things are pretty calm for the most part.

Of course Shadrach has made an article on this topic. I'll have to save it and read through it later, love his observations and opinions on this topic

 

[3KillerBs]

It depends on breed.

My fast-maturing Australorps (and even faster-maturing Australorp x California White boys), start crowing and getting interested in the girls by 5 months, but don't usually mate successfully until 6-7 months depending on the time of year, the quality of the cockerel, the attitude of the females, and the presence of mature roosters.

My first rooster for this flock, a Black Langshan, was slower-maturing, crowing around 6 months and making his first mating attempts around 7 months.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Mine tend to start being teenagers between 4 and 7 months, give or take. Most of mine don't become aggressive though, and if they do, they're gone, which likely helps the next generation become calmer as well vecause the teen aggressors don't reproduce

 

[Shadrach]

First three months adorable little sweethearts.
Three to six months some start getting a bit leery.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/leery
Six to nine months; get them hens and tear the arse out of everything.
Six months to one year old. This is where they start thinking like a rooster and the age most people have most problems.
If the keeper can keep their cool at eighteen months you'll either have a solid adult male or have given up.

Breed, personality and keeping circumstances all make a difference.
What makes the biggest difference is how the keeper responds to the various stages.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Also is a cockerel picking at the pullets and chasing them around and harassing them but not hurting them normal ?

Yes.

Can anyone recommend a good article on when cockerels begin to mature and when they behavior peaks in aggressiveness/ crazy hormonal behavior?

My observations are somewhat similar but certainly not rigid.. I've had a 5 month old cockerel become flock master of a flock without a dominant rooster but with mature hens as well as pullets. That happened once so pretty rare and was very peaceful. Most of mine can take over a flock with no dominant rooster by 7 months and again usually pretty peacefully. I had one take 11 months and that was not close to peaceful. The dominant hen put up a pretty strong fight.

But this was when they were taking over the flock. When they were four to five months old they were typical hormonal wild cockerels. But I typically had a dominant rooster in the flock at that time so it seldom got that wild. I typically remove the dominant rooster when I pick which 5 month old cockerel would be the next years dominant flock master.

Some of my observations.

1. Each chicken is an individual. Cockerels mature at different rates. Some cockerels are early maturing, some can be quite late. Some are aggressive about taking over the flock, some are extremely meek and mild. Some can take over by force of personality, some can't and have to rely on force. Individual personality can make a huge difference.

2. Flock make-up can have an impact. A dominant rooster in the flock when they are maturing can make a difference. Having mature hens in the flock can have an effect.

3. The girls have a part to play in this too. Not just their age but their personality. Some will accept about any male whether he is wearing spurs or not while others have higher standards.

4. I think our perceptions are important. What I see as chickens being chickens and natural behaviors others see as brutality. My goal through puberty is that no one gets hurt. It can be a violent time so you do have to pay attention and may need to take actions. I don't worry about a pullet's or cockerel's psyche being warped to the point to where they need constant therapy to become productive members of the flock.

I try to solve for the peace and wellbeing of the flock. I have removed boys and girls from the flock with that in mind. But puberty is usually not a very peaceful time. I kind of fall back on "is anyone getting hurt" for decisions then, same as I do during integration.

 

[Mrs. K]

A huge influence is the size of the coop, the size of the flock, and if all the birds are the same age or if it is a multi-generational flock with an established society.

If you have a lot of room, a lot of hideouts, roosts, clutter, mini walls and multiple feed stations where a bird eating at one station cannot see a bird eating at another, and birds of different ages, you have a better chance for getting a good rooster. They tend to get better at 7 months, and best around a year.

If you have a smaller flock, in a smaller coop/run, with only birds of the same age, and /or multiple cockerels, it can be rather a disaster. Pullets can really get harassed. I don't like that.

I humbly disagree with Shadrach, I don't think that people have that much influence, unless you are a very large man, maybe. I am an experience flock keeper, I have had chickens for decades, in a good size set up for the chickens and I have had both rotten and wonderful cockerels come up through the ranks.

Mrs K

 

[Shadrach]

A huge influence is the size of the coop, the size of the flock, and if all the birds are the same age or if it is a multi-generational flock with an established society.

If you have a lot of room, a lot of hideouts, roosts, clutter, mini walls and multiple feed stations where a bird eating at one station cannot see a bird eating at another, and birds of different ages, you have a better chance for getting a good rooster. They tend to get better at 7 months, and best around a year.

If you have a smaller flock, in a smaller coop/run, with only birds of the same age, and /or multiple cockerels, it can be rather a disaster. Pullets can really get harassed. I don't like that.

All good here. I just gave a very brief timeline. All your points above I agree with give or take a month or two.

I humbly disagree with Shadrach,

Not good here. It's the humble bit. You have a different experience. That doesn't require any humility.