What age do pullets and cockerels pick partners?

[Hopeful homesteader]

I know they're too young for mating and everything as their only 7 weeks old but im already seeing a divide. I have 6 chicks, 4 female and 2 male, this week I've noticed 3 girls always hanging over with 1 male (foghorn) and 1 girl hanging with the other (fat albert). The 1 girl will even go and burrow herself under fat Albert while he eats. The 2 males puff up their chests at each other but both back down and they all still squeeze together in a pile on the coop floor at night and I noticed that 1 girl trying to burrow under fat Albert again tonight at bedtime. I'm really just curious if this is the beginning of them picking partner's? If it is, I'm a little concerned as fat Albert will be leaving in a few weeks and I'm not sure if that girl is gonna have a hard time being separated since it appears she's already bonding with him more than the others. Could this just be part of pecking order and these 2 are at the bottom? I'm not really sure what to look for as far as pecking orders go but there's been no fighting or picking on each other aside from the boys puffing up a few times.

 

[DobieLover]

I know they're too young for mating and everything as their only 7 weeks old but im already seeing a divide. I have 6 chicks, 4 female and 2 male, this week I've noticed 3 girls always hanging over with 1 male (foghorn) and 1 girl hanging with the other (fat albert). The 1 girl will even go and burrow herself under fat Albert while he eats. The 2 males puff up their chests at each other but both back down and they all still squeeze together in a pile on the coop floor at night and I noticed that 1 girl trying to burrow under fat Albert again tonight at bedtime. I'm really just curious if this is the beginning of them picking partner's? If it is, I'm a little concerned as fat Albert will be leaving in a few weeks and I'm not sure if that girl is gonna have a hard time being separated since it appears she's already bonding with him more than the others. Could this just be part of pecking order and these 2 are at the bottom? I'm not really sure what to look for as far as pecking orders go but there's been no fighting or picking on each other aside from the boys puffing up a few times.

It's a good thing you are rehoming one of the boys.
The usual reason for a chicken cramming themselves under another chicken is to submit and is more an indicator of insecurity, IMO.
She will be fine and will gladly take to Foghorn when Fat Albert leaves.
They are all still acting like chicks with the night time pile up on the coop floor. It's a bit early for the hormonal aspect of chicken behavior to have kicked in.