Chicken Chasing dog?

[Couture Family]

So I'm not sure if my hen is a rooster or just rotten? She's starting to do weird things.

1. She WILL NOT let you touch her. She snaps her wings at me if I get close enough to touch her (it hurts).
2. When the girls are all out in the yard and the squirrel is in the tress she will do a clucking noise as if she is warning the other girls. They actually all come running towards her as if she's telling them to come close for safety.
3. And now on top of those things she chases my smaller dog. Yes, she chases him (it's pretty funny). As soon as my two dogs come out the door she will look for my Yorkie-poo and come running towards him to chase him. The poor guy is afraid of her. My Mal ti-tzu just stands there. She will peck at him but he doesn't flinch. She never hurts them she just likes to chase him. All I can think of is he's the same color as her just about and almost the same size so she feels threatened? The puppies were taught not to pick on the girls since they were chicks. So my dogs know not to go after my girls.

She use to be the docile one. She never gets into any of the fights with the other girls when they pick at each other. She's a Barred Plymouth Rock and hasn't start laying yet. She's 5 months old. Actually only one of my girls has started laying only this week. She hasn't started doing the squatting thing yet so I'm not sure what to think?

She hasn't crowed or anything that sounds like crowing. She clucks like a girl.

All of a sudden she's the protector? Here she is as a baby chick and now.

What say you all?

 

[HS Pye]

Hi,

Good looking birdy you got there

. Do you have any cocks in your flock? We once had a cockless flock and the top hen became the flock protector and leader. Once we got a rooster she got out of the habit and handed it the cock. Might be the same way with your flock.

HS Pye

 

[jenifry]

I don't know how to link to another thread, but I really think your hen is just a dominant hen. They will take the role of the flock protector if there is no rooster. IMHO: I don't see saddle feathers. Her comb and wattles are more hen than rooster.

~~ guillr2 posted this pic of a 5 month old BR Roo...


See those pretty feathers by his tail? That's a roo... and see his HUGE comb and wattles compared to yours chicks?

My limited knowledge says Yay! Hen for you! She's just at the top of the pecking order.

 

[Crysta]

How old is she?
It looks like a hen to me, from the image it looks like she doesn't have saddle feathers (long pointy feathers before the tail).

I've heard that some hens will take the role of a rooster when their is none around. I've never experienced this though.

 

[HS Pye]

Hi,

Notice jenifry said that this was a 5 month old cock. Cockerals that young don't typically develope all their 'rooster looks' at that age.

HS Pye

 

[Couture Family]

No, no rooster. And she is the biggest of the girls so perhaps your right.

 

[HS Pye]

Hi,

Yup, then she's probably the dominant hen and think that she can do as good of a job as a rooster

.

HS Pye

 

[Couture Family]

She's five months. And I'm sure guys are right. I feel better now because we aren't allowed roosters in the city. But why is she so standoffish? She snaps those wings really hard and they hurt if she gets you.

 

[HS Pye]

Like earlier, she probably thinks she's cock for the time and she'll act like one... only more aggressive.

HS Pye

 

[Couture Family]

Ah I see. So does that mean like she wont become more friendly when she starts laying like my other girls?
My Golden Buff never let me touch her either until now since she's laying. And my Hamburg will let you pet her now if you catch her but she never use to either. She's getting ready to lay too because she's doing the squatting thing.

I'd really like to hold them all and have them jump in my lap like I've heard some people say theirs do. That would be awesome!