Rooster mating with with very young pullets

[sarak]

My current flock is one rooster and one hen (easter eggers) and 4 ducks (cayuga and black swedish). I am raising 2 barred rock and 3 buff orpington pullets to add to the flock. They are 7 weeks. I have started bringing them outside 30 minutes a day into the run while everyone else is out free ranging. None of the adults pay any attentions except the rooster who runs around the outside of the fence crowing and beating his wings. Yesterday I let the rooster come in in an attempt to start getting them used to each other. I hope to have the chicks living in the coop by ~10 weeks. The rooster immediately grabbed any pullet he could catch by the back of the neck and tried to mate with them. So, I have two questions. Is there any chance of this hurting the young hens? They seemed fine after. Also, has anyone else had a rooster mate with such young hens? I read that they won't usually try to mate until the hen is mature. I suppose it could be worse - he could be trying to kill them. Thanks for any advice.

 

[Kelsie2290]

I would definitely keep them separated for now and probably until the younger ones are mature. Roosters can hurt and even kill young pullets trying to mate them...it is not unusual for a young / adolescent rooster especially to try to mate pullets that are not mature.

 

[sarak]

Thanks. The rooster is mature - a little over a year old. I don't plan to have them outside for good until about 10 weeks. What do you mean by mature? In size or laying? I certainly don't want anyone getting hurt, but I also want to gradually start introducing them as soon as possible.