Early maturity in cockerels...

[ChimkinNug]

What's the youngest you have seen a cockerel start mating?

So, I have a Whiting True Blue cockerel who started crowing at 6 weeks of age - not unheard of at all. But this little booger started mating at 7 weeks old. He's 8 weeks old now, and I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't raised him myself.

Months ago, we culled our roosters due to aggression and ordered a few cockerels with our day old pullets. For the past week (shortly after our little overachiever started his business), I have been getting fertile eggs from my older hens again. Crazy? Or more common than I realize?

 

[LaurenRitz]

If they can finish the job you've got a good chance of fertile eggs. The problem with young cockerels as I understand it isn't fertility, but instead a combination of hen refusal, inexperience, and size.