How early does a cockerel start mating behaviors?

[Party_Chicken]

How early will a cockerel start mating behaviors? I think I just saw my ten week old cockerel tibiting from an EE pullet. He hasn’t crowed and is very skittish. He held up a little bug and brought it over to the EE and did a little shaky dance and then the pullet grabbed it and ate it. He as this tibiting? (The cockerel and pullet this exchange happened between)

 

[fluffycrow]

How old is he? It all depends on the breed and the bird itself, but for your "normal" breeds I'd say it's between 5-7 months

 

[Party_Chicken]

How old is he? It all depends on the breed and the bird itself, but for your "normal" breeds I'd say it's between 5-7 months

He is a ten week old Easter Egger

 

[MilesFluffybutt]

My EE started mounting my dog's stuffies around 10 weeks old.

 

[fluffycrow]

Tidbitting and the so-called "rooster dance" can be observed from a young age, and as far as the tidbitting goes, it's not even male-specific. That being said, mounting at an early age should not be confused with mating. Mounting at this age is simply for dominance, not reproduction

 

[Atchurch]

My RIR started around 13 weeks. They're about 14 weeks now (he and his female flockmates). A couple weeks after integrating them with two 18 month old female BRs. He still hasn't crowed yet, though.

 

[3KillerBs]

He held up a little bug and brought it over to the EE and did a little shaky dance and then the pullet grabbed it and ate it. He as this tibiting?

That's adorable!

A very good sign for a possible keeper.

I had one cockerel being permitted to mate with willing hens at about 16 weeks (and a lot of them trying but being refused), and one of a late maturing breed not figuring it out until about 6-7 months.

 

[Party_Chicken]

That's adorable!

A very good sign for a possible keeper.

I had one cockerel being permitted to mate with willing hens at about 16 weeks (and a lot of them trying but being refused), and one of a late maturing breed not figuring it out until about 6-7 months.

I am definitely keeping him. He is very respectful to the hens and keeps his chicks away from the dogs or other things he perceives as a threat (not me thankfully). The other day I saw him sitting in front of his pullets while they dust bathed as if he was protecting them. He seems like he will be a very good protector. My old roo flew out of our yard when a fox came. One of the many reasons he went away. I am already seeing such different behaviors in my old roo compared to Cornelius. He is just the best boy. He has a brother that we aren’t keeping that hasn’t figured anything out yet.

 

[3KillerBs]

I am definitely keeping him. He is very respectful to the hens and keeps his chicks away from the dogs or other things he perceives as a threat (not me thankfully). The other day I saw him sitting in front of his pullets while they dust bathed as if he was protecting them. He seems like he will be a very good protector. My old roo flew out of our yard when a fox came. One of the many reasons he went away. I am already seeing such different behaviors in my old roo compared to Cornelius. He is just the best boy. He has a brother that we aren’t keeping that hasn’t figured anything out yet.

That's lovely!

I knew that my first rooster on this property, Ludwig the Black Langshan, was going to be a good flockmaster when he was only about 5 months old and sat down next to the integration pen to "babysit" the chicks I'd added to my flock.

I didn't see it personally because I was at work, but my son told me that those chicks made their first trip out into the run under the watchful eye of their "Big Brother".

 

[TOP ROOST CHICKENS]

So cute