Newbie chicken owner- Mating questions

[Kfults]

I have a flock of 12, 11 pullets and 1 cockerel (16 weeks old)
I have read a lot about young Roo behaviors and worried when mating began my pullets would be used and abused. I have noticed in past few weeks the cockerel becoming “ leader “ of his flock. I hadn’t noticed any mating dancing or hormonal behavior until this evening. I was sitting outside and just happened to notice my Roo was mounted on my RIR pullet inside their run!! There was no squaking, she didn’t seem to be fighting him and he was not hurting her. All seemed pretty tame. She is the largest of my pullets, the golden comets are smaller in size..... No one has laid any eggs yet.... I am assuming that will be soon ( guessing he could sense she was near maturity??) I didn’t see if she squatted for him, I am guessing she did for everything to have happened so quiet and easy going. Maybe this wasn’t the first time.... idk... Is it normal for pullets begin mating before laying eggs? Is my cockerel just a little eager and maturing faster than the girls? If no one is getting hurt, just let nature take its course??

 

[redranger209]

I have a flock of 12, 11 pullets and 1 cockerel (16 weeks old)
I have read a lot about young Roo behaviors and worried when mating began my pullets would be used and abused. I have noticed in past few weeks the cockerel becoming “ leader “ of his flock. I hadn’t noticed any mating dancing or hormonal behavior until this evening. I was sitting outside and just happened to notice my Roo was mounted on my RIR pullet inside their run!! There was no squaking, she didn’t seem to be fighting him and he was not hurting her. All seemed pretty tame. She is the largest of my pullets, the golden comets are smaller in size..... No one has laid any eggs yet.... I am assuming that will be soon ( guessing he could sense she was near maturity??) I didn’t see if she squatted for him, I am guessing she did for everything to have happened so quiet and easy going. Maybe this wasn’t the first time.... idk... Is it normal for pullets begin mating before laying eggs? Is my cockerel just a little eager and maturing faster than the girls? If no one is getting hurt, just let nature take its course??

I’d seperate the cockerel for about a month. Until they lay eggs. The cockerel can be rough.

 

[aart]

I am assuming that will be soon ( guessing he could sense she was near maturity??) I didn’t see if she squatted for him, I am guessing she did for everything to have happened so quiet and easy going. Maybe this wasn’t the first time.... idk... Is it normal for pullets begin mating before laying eggs? Is my cockerel just a little eager and maturing faster than the girls? If no one is getting hurt, just let nature take its course??

Absolutely!

Cockerels do sexually mature before pullets.
Sometimes a cockerel will not mate a pullet until she's ready to lay,
it's a fairly rare and valuable asset. Most just start grabbing necks and chasing anywhere from 10-12 weeks old.

If she submitted to him, it could be she is close to laying or she is just submissive, mounting is not always about sex...he may just be a skilled and benevolent leader.

Did they 'touch vents'?
Did she get up and 'shake her tail feathers'?

Time will tell if he can stay with the girls, it's always good to have a crate or enclosure ready cause if and when it gets ugly, it can happen fast.

Here's some tips about....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

 

[Kfults]

Thanks, I do have a pen I could lock him in if needed. This am I observed he would circle this particular pullet and she just walked off and he would then sit down or continue pecking the feed I threw in this am. So far he hasn’t shown interest in the other pullets. Could i be so lucky to have a considerate cockerel?? Maybe his hormones aren’t in full swing yet..... They did seem to touch vents or at least he was trying. He hopped off and she got up and walked off. Today I did notice her shaking tail feathers when he was near but didn’t squat. He has not grabbed a neck or chased anyone. Honestly he is so big and slow.... he seems to be a meat bird cross with a red and is huge. He can’t fly to the top roost, sits and watches pullets instead of standing. Honestly I think his legs get tired from holding up that huge body. The only time he seems to chase the pullets is at roost time. Once he is in the coup he seems to expect all pullets in roost and any walking around the coup 10x12 he will chase as if to say - get up on roost! He circles the coup after they are all roosting before getting on the lower roost bar.

 

[aart]

Could i be so lucky to have a considerate cockerel?? Maybe his hormones aren’t in full swing yet.

Could be either...only time will tell.

Honestly he is so big and slow.... he seems to be a meat bird cross with a red and is huge.

Really..like a Cornish X meat bird? Oh, I see:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-cockerel-is-huge.1259899/
Hard to say.