Will the girls stand up for themselves?

[lkgerr1]

This is my first year with chickens. I have a flock of 10 - 3 pullet leghorns, 4 ISA Browns, 2 likely Saphire Gems, and a likely Saphire Gem cockerel. They are all about the same age at just about 16 weeks. The girls haven't started laying yet. Roo has been trying to mount the girls but they are not into it. Most of them just run away and one of my girls will tell him off in no uncertain terms. Although they are all about the same age, they are all in different stages of development with some appearing closer to maturity than others. Today, one of my ISA Browns let him mount her but she hasn't started laying yet. He wasn't overly aggressive with her or anything, so I'm not worried about pecking injuries. Assuming that the girls will handle him themselves and if he is annoying them they will tell him??

 

[DobieLover]

Assuming that the girls will handle him themselves and if he is annoying them they will tell him??

It depends on the pullet and the cockerel.
Some will give him what for.
Some will run.
Some will be so stressed out they won't come out of the coop.
Sometimes the cockerels are downright relentless and will not stop chasing down the object of their desire until he catches her and jumps her.
If the girls appear overly stressed you can limit his access to them by penning him for a portion of the day or several days/weeks until all the pullets have sexually matured.
The ISA that submitted to him is likely going to lay soon.

 

[lkgerr1]

It depends on the pullet and the cockerel.
Some will give him what for.
Some will run.
Some will be so stressed out they won't come out of the coop.
Sometimes the cockerels are downright relentless and will not stop chasing down the object of their desire until he catches her and jumps her.
If the girls appear overly stressed you can limit his access to them by penning him for a portion of the day or several days/weeks until all the pullets have sexually matured.
The ISA that submitted to him is likely going to lay soon.

I think the biggest thing is that any of the girls not interested have plenty of room to get around him. He only chases them first thing in the morning when he waits under the roost for them to start coming down. They seem annoyed more than stressed. Although nothing is as funny as my Saphire Gem pullet telling him off and chasing him back.

It depends on the pullet and the cockerel.
Some will give him what for.
Some will run.
Some will be so stressed out they won't come out of the coop.
Sometimes the cockerels are downright relentless and will not stop chasing down the object of their desire until he catches her and jumps her.
If the girls appear overly stressed you can limit his access to them by penning him for a portion of the day or several days/weeks until all the pullets have sexually matured.
The ISA that submitted to him is likely going to lay soon.

 

[drdoct]

He'll continue to do the dance and chase them. They'll start laying.... then they will join his Harem and go goo goo for him. He'll take care of them and they'll take care of his ... ummm urges. You're just at the awkward middle school age for chickens right now.

 

[Ridgerunner]

To me it sounds like things are going about as perfectly as they can for you right now. Everything you mentioned sounds normal, I can't see anything threatening. That's doesn't mean things couldn't go haywire in the next five minutes, you just don't know what will happen, but I'll take where you are any day of the week. And I agree, having sufficient room is a great benefit.

Assuming that the girls will handle him themselves and if he is annoying them they will tell him??

I would not phrase it this way. It's not about them handling him but more that they all learn to get along with each other and fill their intended roles in the flock as they mature. That doesn't mean it will always be smooth sailing like you are now seeing, it could get pretty rough. Or it could remain smooth and calm. If you can get through the next month or two they should settle into a really peaceful flock. Not all chickens, male or female, conform to their "natural" positions in the flock so it is not always peaceful.

Something that is often lost on this forum is that the transition from juvenile to mature adult is often a pretty peaceful stress-free transition, just not that much drama. In my opinion having plenty of room can be a major contributor to making it low stress.

Here's hoping for continued success.

 

[lkgerr1]

He'll continue to do the dance and chase them. They'll start laying.... then they will join his Harem and go goo goo for him. He'll take care of them and they'll take care of his ... ummm urges. You're just at the awkward middle school age for chickens right now.

Yup. Got our first egg the next day!

 

[drdoct]

Yup. Got our first egg the next day!

That's awesome. I love first eggs!