I have a game hen who hatched 6 chicks 5 weeks ago. (The father is 1/2 barnyard mix, 1/2 dominick.) The game hen takes the chicks with her where ever she wants; they are not penned up & have acres to forage, though she takes them to a protected crate at night. They have chick feed available near their crate. She has not tried to roost in a tree with them, though I expect she will at some point.
In the past week, I've noticed that one chick repeatedly jumps on Mama's back and bites her head and neck. She screeches a bit and gently dumps him off. He still likes to sleep under her wing at night. I haven't seen him do this with any of the others, and he doesn't seem significantly more dominant than his siblings. He does have slightly better problem solving ability than the others (finding his way around confusing obstacles). I don't see a comb or any obvious rooster markings.
Is this mating/mounting behavior in a baby cockerel, sign of a really bad temperament, or just something chicks do sometimes?
In the past week, I've noticed that one chick repeatedly jumps on Mama's back and bites her head and neck. She screeches a bit and gently dumps him off. He still likes to sleep under her wing at night. I haven't seen him do this with any of the others, and he doesn't seem significantly more dominant than his siblings. He does have slightly better problem solving ability than the others (finding his way around confusing obstacles). I don't see a comb or any obvious rooster markings.
Is this mating/mounting behavior in a baby cockerel, sign of a really bad temperament, or just something chicks do sometimes?
