Why is my 2 month old Cockerels mounting my pullets?

[Sally PB]

I had three Buff Orpingtons. By 9 weeks, two were terrorizing the pullets enough that the girls wouldn't leave the roost. They had to go away. The one I kept had started crowing at 8 weeks.

 

[Bananer86]

I have a 13 week old Orpington X Dominique cockerel that has just started expressing the bad behavior with my 12 & 13 week old pullets. 1 allows it & her comb & wattles have started coming in but the Orpington pullet is not having it & he snatches feathers on her head & neck.
Should I separate him? If I do should I put the pullet that submits in with him or my 12 week cockerel?

 

[9_OddHens]

I had three Buff Orpingtons. By 9 weeks, two were terrorizing the pullets enough that the girls wouldn't leave the roost. They had to go away. The one I kept had started crowing at 8 weeks.

I'm in the similar situation. I ordered 12 Orpintons... received 3 females and 9 males.
1 of the boys matured enough that by 7 weeks I could easily tell he was male. He started crowing at 8 weeks, and trying to mount everyone by 9 weeks.

He started terrorizing the 3 girls constantly; injuring one in the chase... so he's been put in with my older hens; I figure the older girls will be a better fit for him- the big goof.

The rest of the boys are being separated into a different pen as I confirm their gender.

9 roos is a bit ridiculous though... anyone want a roo? lol

 

[Sally PB]

9 roos is a bit ridiculous though

I'm convinced that "straight run" really means, "We can't tell if it's a pullet."

3 out of 3 for me was a 1 in 8 chance.

Unless I want to get a cockerel, I'm never buying straight run again. If I want a cockerel, I think I'll just hatch my own.

 

[Silkie fluff butts]

I have another question. I saw my cockerel attacking my barred rock pullets and my Dutch bantam pullet. He hasn’t seen them in three days because I slept over another house and brought him with me. Does he not remember them? There has to be a reason why he’s doing this.

I'm no expert, but I have seen chickens do some weird things. We had 3 Silkie pullets (2 hens and a roo). At 10 weeks old, we introduced very passive rescued bantam, who had been bullied at her previous home. They all got along fabulously for about 2 months...until the day we moved them, coop and all to a new yard. From the second they entered the yard, that little sweet Bantam fought the Silkie roo as if she was a rooster herself! We were totally shocked to see her behave this way! She never, ever defended herself, let alone picked a fight! She finally settled down and is fine with him now, but it took a few weeks of separation and even trying to go at him through the fence. So bazar!

At any rate, If you can separate them for a bit so that they can see each other but not get to each other, that should settle things down. He may even need to be separate long enough for them to grow up a bit more.... just some ideas to try. I hope it's helpful! (-:

 

[Ponypoor]

My Cream Legbar cockerel is about 2 months and a few weeks old and he’s already trying to mount the pullets he lives with. Is this normal? He’s nowhere near the age to start mating according to google, so why is he trying to mount his pullets? Is it for dominance purposes? He doesn’t do it often, only when he catches one of his pullets laying down.

I have a bunch (4) 9 week old 'barnyard mix' roos, they started crowing at around 5 weeks, and one started to try and mount my Silkie X hen about 2 weeks ago! Now he has resorted to these fits of 'hit and run' attacks on my 3 Silkies - he runs up grabs a beak full of feathers tears them out and runs away like a bat-out-of-hell! My poor Silkies are freaked out by him, and my one Silkie X wants to murder him - he just now ran into the barn office here, jumped on her, grabbed feathers and took off - then he realized I was IN the office. Boy did he ever run when he saw both Henny-Penny and ME running after him, good think he runs faster than Henny and I.....

So no I don't think 2 months old, to be acting like a SOB, is out of the ordinary for any chickens - if he were a colt I would have him gelded so fast his head would be spinning! As it is he is destined for the freezer.....

 

[ElizaMay]

I have a bunch (4) 9 week old 'barnyard mix' roos, they started crowing at around 5 weeks, and one started to try and mount my Silkie X hen about 2 weeks ago! Now he has resorted to these fits of 'hit and run' attacks on my 3 Silkies - he runs up grabs a beak full of feathers tears them out and runs away like a bat-out-of-hell! My poor Silkies are freaked out by him, and my one Silkie X wants to murder him - he just now ran into the barn office here, jumped on her, grabbed feathers and took off - then he realized I was IN the office. Boy did he ever run when he saw both Henny-Penny and ME running after him, good think he runs faster than Henny and I.....

So no I don't think 2 months old, to be acting like a SOB, is out of the ordinary for any chickens - if he were a colt I would have him gelded so fast his head would be spinning! As it is he is destined for the freezer.....

Too stupid and immature to realize there's more to it than grabbing neck.

 

[Wolfie2]

He-s practicing!

 

[Ponypoor]

I caught him trying to 'sneak' up on my wee silkie this morning, and chased him away - she also turned on him. He is a devil, I was going to keep him as he is very pretty, but he is too mean and the silkies don't like him. So he will need a new home!

 

[Ponypoor]

He-s practicing!

He needs more hahaha he tried to breed her yesterday afternoon and flipped over her head did a face plant and came up looking all confused. Time for the wee little men to go to new homes! They are bigger than my Silkies now - I don't want them hurt!