Rooster mating?

[Smileybans]

My 19 week old EE cockerel, Fuzzy, has started picking on my 16 week old hens. I have him in with two 16 week olds and five 11 week olds. Two of the 11 week olds are suspect boys. Fuzzy has started to peck at the back of the 16 week old hens necks. He sometimes pulls out feathers other times he doesn’t. The suspect boys he leaves alone and the 11 week olds he pecks at sometimes. Only if they stop in front of him and the other two aren’t around. Is this normal mating behavior or is he becoming more aggressive towards them? The hens yell and run away. I had read it could be normal, him trying to figure out mating, but I want to be sure. Out of the four hours I had them free ranging I heard the hens yell 4-6 times.
He only does it when I’m not looking. I think he checks to make sure I’m not looking because I can’t ever seem to catch him doing it. I always just hear a hen yell and see her feathers messed up on her neck.

 

[sourland]

Normal behavior for an oversexed teen ager. Many remove such cockerels from the flock and reintroduce them once the pullets start laying.

 

[Smileybans]

Normal behavior for an oversexed teen ager. Many remove such cockerels from the flock and reintroduce them once the pullets start laying.

I had planned on doing that with the two suspect boys. Once I knew for sure they were boys. Fuzzy is the head boy and I feel like the girls would miss him if I removed him. They call to him all the time. I think to check to see where he is. And he calls them when it’s time to roost. I’m glad it’s normal behavior though. I might still remove Fuzzy if he gets too rough with them though. Thank you.

 

[Annalyse]

At first, mine was "aggressive" towards my hens but then the first time he mated one of them I thought he was attacking her. haha, I yelled at him and then later realized. Soon hell picks a favorite. Mine yell at him and sometimes pull their neck feathers up at him and jump over him. My little ninjas. As long as he doesn't do some serious damage he'll mature.

 

[Smileybans]

At first, mine was "aggressive" towards my hens but then the first time he mated one of them I thought he was attacking her. haha, I yelled at him and then later realized. Soon hell picks a favorite. Mine yell at him and sometimes pull their neck feathers up at him and jump over him. My little ninjas. As long as he doesn't do some serious damage he'll mature.

So far no serious damage. I’m hoping it stays that way. I think he scares them more than anything when he does it. I knew he was getting to mating age but when I looked up his behavior on google it said so many things. So I figured I would ask. Just to be sure.
We actually named one of the hens Honey because she was the first one Fuzzy started doing this too. We figured she was his favorite. But she’s bigger than Buttercup so I think that was probably the reason.

 

[Annalyse]

So far no serious damage. I’m hoping it stays that way. I think he scares them more than anything when he does it. I knew he was getting to mating age but when I looked up his behavior on google it said so many things. So I figured I would ask. Just to be sure.
We actually named one of the hens Honey because she was the first one Fuzzy started doing this too. We figured she was his favorite. But she’s bigger than Buttercup so I think that was probably the reason.

Yea we just have 1 shillue among our flock of standards and he never mates her. He only mated her once because I had just him and her out with me when they were young and he did it right there and got off pretty quick. I guess she didnt pass but his favorite is our Australorp her name is Crow.

 

[aart]

19 weeks is a bit late for mating behavior to start, IME.
If he's tapping at them but doesn't pursue them further, let them work it out.

The younger males might be increasing Fuzzy's attempts.
Had a mellow cockerel, and a few younger ones, once the youngers hormones started flowing Mellow Woody got real aggressive with the pullets.
He calmed down immediately when I removed the younger males.

 

[Smileybans]

19 weeks is a bit late for mating behavior to start, IME.
If he's tapping at them but doesn't pursue them further, let them work it out.

The younger males might be increasing Fuzzy's attempts.
Had a mellow cockerel, and a few younger ones, once the youngers hormones started flowing Mellow Woody got real aggressive with the pullets.
He calmed down immediately when I removed the younger males.

You might be on to something there. He is only tapping them but the other two suspect males are 11 weeks. I was waiting until they crowed to remove them but I bet they have something to do with it. Fuzzy had started this awhile back then stopped, or slowed down at least, and now he’s started again. The suspect boys don’t seem to want to crow with Fuzzy around anyway. They square up like boys but no crowing.