12 wks old - Mating?

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

I'm sorry to bombard yall with "silly" questions, but I've read, watched, and researched. Sometimes i just gotta come out and ask:
This polish cockrel is 12 weeks old...began crowing 2 or 3 weeks ago. He's Sometimes fine with the 3 silkies I have then other times he is chasing them down.
This afternoon I saw him try to mount one (they are all 12 weeks old) and then bit a wad of feathers out as she scooted on her way and ran.
I have suspected my black silkie may also be a cockrel...but told it is usually too early to tell with silkies. I watched this silkie go up to one of my pullet and just bite a wad of feathers from her tail!
Is this mating? Have I got 2 cockrels? What do I do with em?

 

[Chookchicken]

Bitting a wad of feathers out isn’t mating. The first one trying to mount the hen is most likely trying to mate her. If you make a different thread on the Silkie it is likely that we will be able to sex it. If they are getting really violent with the lady’s is separate them. Is there any other chickens in the flock apart from the three other Silkies? The other thing he could’ve been doing was trying to assert dominance over them (I think it’s more likely mating but still it is possible).

There is almost never a silly question. Feel free to ask as many questions as you need

 

[Ridgerunner]

This polish cockrel is 12 weeks old...
This afternoon I saw him try to mount one (they are all 12 weeks old) and then bit a wad of feathers out as she scooted on her way and ran.

He hit puberty early. It happens with some of them. At that age it is not about fertilizing eggs, there are no eggs to be fertilized. It's about dominance. The one on the bottom is accepting the dominance of the one on top, either willingly or by force. Sounds like that was an attempt by force. The only way he can hold her to force her is by grabbing her with his beak. That can be anywhere to gain control of her. Part of the mating act is him grabbing the back of her head. That's her signal to raise her tail out of the way so he can hit the target, so the back or the head is a popular place for him to grab. With her trying to get away some feathers came out.

One of the weirder things I've seen was a 13 week old pullet willingly squat for a 13 week old cockerel. I really did not expect to see a pullet that young just squat instead of try to run away but that one did. You never know what you are going to see with chickens.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

separate them. Is there any other chickens in the flock apart from the three other Silkies?

Is it necessary to separate him from them during the night as well or just day time? Idk it seems like they just sleep tip he wakes up...then goes back at it.
He's biting the wad out of tail feathers not head feathers.
Yes I only have 4 total chicks...3 silkie and 1 polish.
I'll make another thread for silkie sex.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

grabbing the back of her head. That's her signal to raise her tail out of the way so he can hit the target, so the back or the head is a popular place for him to grab. With her trying to get away some feathers came out.

It's the tail feathers he bit out...and they were stilI in his mouth.

 

[Chookchicken]

Is it necessary to separate him from them during the night as well or just day time? Idk it seems like they just sleep tip he wakes up...then goes back at it.
He's biting the wad out of tail feathers not head feathers.
Yes I only have 4 total chicks...3 silkie and 1 polish.
I'll make another thread for silkie sex.

I think if your going to separate them it should be separating them. It would most likely just get violent once they go to bed. I‘d only separate them if they start drawing blood, or you notice bald spots. I’d be concerned about over mating and I’d be keeping an eye out for that. You will most likely end up separating the males into their own coops at some point if you don’t have any other hens since 2 males to 2 females isn’t very good. At this point I’d just keep and eye out and be prepared to separate the boys if needed.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

I think if your going to separate them it should be separating them. It would most likely just get violent once they go to bed. I‘d only separate them if they start drawing blood, or you notice bald spots. I’d be concerned about over mating and I’d be keeping an eye out for that. You will most likely end up separating the males into their own coops at some point if you don’t have any other hens since 2 males to 2 females isn’t very good. At this point I’d just keep and eye out and be prepared to separate the boys if needed.

Yeah well the past 2 weeks I've had problems with my sweet Vanilli (definitely a pullet) losing weight, very depressed acting and it has to be stress related cause she's eating, drinking, comes to me to hold her and everything.
The large coop/run isn't completed yet...is why I was hoping it was just during the day time.
Oh and is it OK that he's by himself out there? I feel badly for him but I feel worse for the pullets!

 

[Chookchicken]

Yeah well the past 2 weeks I've had problems with my sweet Vanilli (definitely a pullet) losing weight, very depressed acting and it has to be stress related cause she's eating, drinking, comes to me to hold her and everything.
The large coop/run isn't completed yet...is why I was hoping it was just during the day time.
Oh and is it OK that he's by himself out there? I feel badly for him but I feel worse for the pullets!

He may act a bit off about being all by himself. If you put him right near the others he won’t be able to reach them but he’ll possibly feel less lonely. If he starts doing harmful behaviours when trying to reach the hens (like scratching up next to the fence, or harming himself in anyway) I’d put him out of view of them. I would probably start looking at maybe rehoming either him or the Silkie male (since the Silkie is looking more like a male), possibly even both. I’d try to separate the cockerels and the pullets ASAP based of your description of Vanilli.