Final Juvenile Molt? Mating soon?

[3KillerBs]

I suspect that my 23-week-old Black Langshan cockerel is undergoing his final juvenile molt since I've found a few of his gorgeous tail feathers lying around the coop. (He was slow-feathering as a chick).

His crow is improving and today I we saw him herding a hen back to the group after she'd wandered off alone at the far end of the run.

He hasn't been seen attempting to mate yet. Should I consider the probable molt a sign of impending maturity?

 

[STACEYH]

I think so.

 

[aart]

Betting it's just more his nature and demeanor than anything to do with molting.
Some are much more slow to mature than others.

 

[3KillerBs]

Betting it's just more his nature and demeanor than anything to do with molting.
Some are much more slow to mature than others.

I expected a Langshan to be slow maturing, his breed-sister isn't showing signs of being POL yet.

I know that there's no predicting what will happen when the hormones hit, but I'm hoping that his behavior with the hens so far and the integrating chicks is a promising sign.

 

[Acre4Me]

Our BL male was an August 2020 hatch. He was around 9 months old when he finally was hormonally influenced to interact with the females. He was really late, it seemed!