Rooster mounting pullets?

[Lootgoot]

Hi, everyone! Everyone is very helpful and friendly around here and I need some more advice

I have a 17 week old Barred Rock rooster who is coming into maturity and "learning the ropes" so to speak. My flock consists of two 2 year old hens, 3 newly laying hens that are 25 weeks old, 5 17 week old pullets and 2 15 week old pullets.

My boy is generally sweet tame and non-aggressive (timid actually). He's been mounting the older hens with limited success for a few weeks now, but seems to have gotten the hang of that now. Haha. Here's my question - he's mounting the 17 week old pullets now. Should I be concerned or just leave them be? Is a sign of maturity in the pullets? (Barred Rock, Buff Orpington and Russian Orloff for reference) He doesn't seem to be hurting them and as I mentioned, he's really not an aggressive rooster in general, but everything else I've read online says that a rooster should know she's not mature. I hate to separate them -they've all been together since day one.

 

[SulkyBantam]

Hmm funny ours only mount mature hens.

 

[Dottie the Chicken]

He's probably just pretty hormone crazy right now. If the pullets are crouching for him, they are probably nearing laying age.

@aart @OneHappyRooster

 

[Lootgoot]

Hmm funny ours only mount mature hens.

I can see them out my window as I'm sitting here and I just watched him try to hop on the Orloff a few minutes ago. She shook him off and laid down under a chair. A few minutes later she went about her business like it was nothing...

 

[Chickassan]

They are approaching sexual maturity at 17 weeks most certainly and your cockrel still hasn't learned the proper etiquette of mating either but he's close.
You have to worry if mating is tried while the pullets are still peeping as a general rule, that is just unacceptable.

 

[MykaMom]

Hi, everyone! Everyone is very helpful and friendly around here and I need some more advice

I have a 17 week old Barred Rock rooster who is coming into maturity and "learning the ropes" so to speak. My flock consists of two 2 year old hens, 3 newly laying hens that are 25 weeks old, 5 17 week old pullets and 2 15 week old pullets.

My boy is generally sweet tame and non-aggressive (timid actually). He's been mounting the older hens with limited success for a few weeks now, but seems to have gotten the hang of that now. Haha. Here's my question - he's mounting the 17 week old pullets now. Should I be concerned or just leave them be? Is a sign of maturity in the pullets? (Barred Rock, Buff Orpington and Russian Orloff for reference) He doesn't seem to be hurting them and as I mentioned, he's really not an aggressive rooster in general, but everything else I've read online says that a rooster should know she's not mature. I hate to separate them -they've all been together since day one.

In my (albeit limited rooster) experience, if the pullets aren't ready, they run, fight back, or otherwise not 'assume the position'. If he's hurting them and they're not cooperating, I'd separate him from the younger ones.

 

[aart]

Is a sign of maturity in the pullets?

It can be, depends on the cockerel.
Rare ones will know who is ready and who is not.

I can see them out my window as I'm sitting here and I just watched him try to hop on the Orloff a few minutes ago. She shook him off and laid down under a chair. A few minutes later she went about her business like it was nothing...

Did he leave her, and the pullet, alone after his attempt?

If he tries but doesn't chase them down continuously, I'd leave him be.

 

[Lootgoot]

Did he leave her, and the pullet, alone after his attempt?

If he tries but doesn't chase them down continuously, I'd leave him be.

Yes, he did and he seems to leave all of the other hens and pullets alone after they've shaken him off. He'll just strut around the yard for a moment or two

I've yet to see him try and mount the 15 week old pullets, but I might isolate them for a bit if I did. One day I walked out to the coop and run area to check on them (I work from home at the moment and "watch" them pretty much all day) a few weeks ago to find one of the Orpingtons laying on the ground in the coop seemingly unable to get up. At first I thought she'd made a dust bath and was just being lazy, but after a few minutes it was almost like she was hurt? All other chickens were out in the yard pecking around, but she was just laying there. I got a work call, so I had to go inside for a moment, so I quickly closed the coop door so she couldn't get hurt and left her for about 20 minutes. When I came back, she was walking around in the coop and eating like nothing happened. This was about a week and a half ago and at the time I had wondered if the rooster had tried to mount her and had hurt her.

He's probably just pretty hormone crazy right now. If the pullets are crouching for him, they are probably nearing laying age.

I hope so! I also have 25 week old hens and it took forever and a day for them to start laying! I know everyone says that, but these are leghorns and sexlinks My first/other post here was concern over a few of them not laying BECAUSE they are known to be early layers. Mine were destined to be freeloaders for longer than expected, I suppose

 

[Chickassan]

Sometimes even mature hens "spazz out" after mating.
I have Faverolles mainly and they're dippy birds to begin with so they do that quite often.
I try to think of it as the hen equivalent of having a ciggie.

Yes, he did and he seems to leave all of the other hens and pullets alone after they've shaken him off. He'll just strut around the yard for a moment or two

I've yet to see him try and mount the 15 week old pullets, but I might isolate them for a bit if I did. One day I walked out to the coop and run area to check on them (I work from home at the moment and "watch" them pretty much all day) a few weeks ago to find one of the Orpingtons laying on the ground in the coop seemingly unable to get up. At first I thought she'd made a dust bath and was just being lazy, but after a few minutes it was almost like she was hurt? All other chickens were out in the yard pecking around, but she was just laying there. I got a work call, so I had to go inside for a moment, so I quickly closed the coop door so she couldn't get hurt and left her for about 20 minutes. When I came back, she was walking around in the coop and eating like nothing happened. This was about a week and a half ago and at the time I had wondered if the rooster had tried to mount her and had hurt her.




I hope so! I also have 25 week old hens and it took forever and a day for them to start laying! I know everyone says that, but these are leghorns and sexlinks My first/other post here was concern over a few of them not laying BECAUSE they are known to be early layers. Mine were destined to be freeloaders for longer than expected, I suppose

 

[aart]

Yes, he did and he seems to leave all of the other hens and pullets alone after they've shaken him off. He'll just strut around the yard for a moment or two

I'd leave them all be.
If he was overtly harassing them you'd know by now.