Roo dominance behavior or early mating?

[Tamagokeeper]

My 2.5 month-old OEG bantam cockerel has started mounting one of my other as-of-yet indeterminate sex chicks and appears to be attempting to mate. He grabs the back of the chick's neck and everything.

Is this a sign that my poor assault victim is a pullet? Or is this a roo dominating another roo? He doesn't do it to my confirmed pullets, but they're a bit more mobile (the one he chooses was born with splay leg or some kind of skeletal deformity and spends more time crouching or resting). I've also seen him do it multiple times a day.

 

[DobieLover]

My 2.5 month-old OEG bantam cockerel has started mounting one of my other as-of-yet indeterminate sex chicks and appears to be attempting to mate. He grabs the back of the chick's neck and everything.

Is this a sign that my poor assault victim is a pullet? Or is this a roo dominating another roo? He doesn't do it to my confirmed pullets, but they're a bit more mobile (the one he chooses was born with splay leg or some kind of skeletal deformity and spends more time crouching or resting). I've also seen him do it multiple times a day.

It's normal cockerel behavior.
Is the girl recovered from her splayed leg issue? If not, I would isolate her in a crate for a bit of "non-romantic" time away from her admirer.
All cockerels/roosters mate many, many, many times a day. It is why they need many recipients to spread the love else one will start losing feathers on her head, shoulders and back.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I had an OEGB/Phoenix cockerel do this at about 5 weeks old.

 

[Tamagokeeper]

It's normal cockerel behavior.
Is the girl recovered from her splayed leg issue? If not, I would isolate her in a crate for a bit of "non-romantic" time away from her admirer.
All cockerels/roosters mate many, many, many times a day. It is why they need many recipients to spread the love else one will start losing feathers on her head, shoulders and back.

No, unfortunately she either has a skeletal deformity or we didn't do a good job of hobbling her. She essentially limps everywhere and spends a good chunk of time laying down.

I talked to the vet about euthanizing her, but his comment was if she's not getting bullied and seems to be eating/drinking then he would advise me to keep her with everyone. Of course, that was before our cockerel started assaulting her....

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

My 2.5 month-old OEG bantam cockerel has started mounting one of my other as-of-yet indeterminate sex chicks and appears to be attempting to mate. He grabs the back of the chick's neck and everything.

Is this a sign that my poor assault victim is a pullet? Or is this a roo dominating another roo? He doesn't do it to my confirmed pullets, but they're a bit more mobile (the one he chooses was born with splay leg or some kind of skeletal deformity and spends more time crouching or resting). I've also seen him do it multiple times a day.

My rooster actually used to have splay leg, I’m almost positive it’s too late but we used those little rubber ponytail things to hold his legs together so his legs grew normally.
I have a pullet who’s leg is paralyzed and way out to the side but she’s the strongest of my flock