males and females of same age developing at different rates?

[QChickieMama]

I have 20 new chickens hatched 3/15/25, 3 males, 17 females. The roosters came of age and crowed a few weeks ago. However, the females in the same pen are not ready to be mounted. They're looking like adults but they're still pullets. Is this normal? I'm curious. The males were so aggressive they've been removed.

They were fighting each other--of course, and when I removed 2 of the males, the last one was chasing his favorite female all over the lawn, and not allowing the females to eat/drink on the ground. He kept fussing at them to move them up to the roost. Is this weird?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It is normal for the cockerel to sexually mature before the pullets. Normally the adult roosters in a flock will keep them under control somewhat. Good thing you removed them. They can cause a lot of stress on pullets.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Yes, totally normal. The boys typically mature faster than the girls. In a feral flock you would have a dominant rooster and mature hens when the juveniles hit this stage. The mature rooster would run the immature boys out of his flock to form their own bachelor flock away from the pullets before they started to lay. Some of the boys would lay claim to their own territory and try to entice some girls to join him so he would have his own flock when he matured some. Or when he matured one of the boys may try fighting the mature rooster to take over his flock. This is the way they evolved.

You don't have a flock with mature chickens in it when the boys come of age so the cockerels do not get run out. Most of us don't have the room for some to be run out of the flock anyway. This means we typically see more stress and conflict than you would have in a typical free ranging feral flock with unlimited room so we have to manage it ourselves. Sounds like you did the right thing.

 

[QChickieMama]

Yes, totally normal. The boys typically mature faster than the girls. In a feral flock you would have a dominant rooster and mature hens when the juveniles hit this stage. The mature rooster would run the immature boys out of his flock to form their own bachelor flock away from the pullets before they started to lay. Some of the boys would lay claim to their own territory and try to entice some girls to join him so he would have his own flock when he matured some. Or when he matured one of the boys may try fighting the mature rooster to take over his flock. This is the way they evolved.

You don't have a flock with mature chickens in it when the boys come of age so the cockerels do not get run out. Most of us don't have the room for some to be run out of the flock anyway. This means we typically see more stress and conflict than you would have in a typical free ranging feral flock with unlimited room so we have to manage it ourselves. Sounds like you did the right thing.

Fascinating. The pen right next to the youngsters' pen has a good ol' rooster but I never thought he could've helped the situation. Still glad to be rid of the juvenile boys. Not needed.