Dominant hens stop laying?????

[HotelChicka]

I read on wikepedia that dominant hens in small flocks without a roo will stop laying, and even mimick a roo, as far as crowing and trying to mate. Excuse me for being blunt, but WTH?????

Has anyone ever had experiences with this? Is it rare?

I have four chickens.....a red sex link (dominant), a black sex link, a wyanndette, and a black macrino. I have four specifially for the fact that it will be the ideal number for egg producation, to sustain our family. If I lose even one of my hens to this gender confusion, its not beneficial at all. Dont get me wrong, I love my girls and consisder them pets, but pets with benefits, if ya get my drift.

Help!

 

[BeulahBreezes]

Hi! I don't know the answer to your question, but I am going to 'listen' to this thread because I also have only 4 chickens..whom I luv dearly...but who also have a very important job to do! lol...'pets with benefits'...lol! ~Beulah

 

[CherylR]

Hi! I just HAD to respond to your post! Yes, when i first got chickens, I read something, somewhere about hens "turning into" roosters, or at least taking on male characteristics in the absence of a rooster. I thought, "well, that's a little crazy-ridiculous!" Let me tell you, if i didn't see it for myself I wouldn't have believed it, but it really does happen. I have a buff orpington hen, about 6 years old or so now, that had taken on roo characteristics after i had rehomed my roos several years ago. This little honey not only has a big comb and wattles, she even crows. Yeah, I know...weird. She has not given me an egg since "The Transformation" but that's fine since she takes care of our flock. She takes her perceived job very seriously... to the extent of almost getting herself killed one night trying to fend off a raccoon that got into the coop. After the attack, I went against my better judgment (that told me it was kinder to euthanize her) and decided to try to save her. It took weeks of nursing and rehab. (she was a mess) but she recovered, much to my surprise! I will keep her as long as she lives...she more than earned it that night.
But to answer your question, yes...it certainly can happen. Incidently, as a side note, I have started keeping a rooster again and she has not "back-tracked"....she still has all the boy characteristics and still crows. She does not pick fights with the roo by the way, but does do everything she can to refuse his "attentions". Best wishes!

 

[CherylR]

PS: I really don't believe that it happens all that often so I don't think you should spend too much time worrying about it. I'm just one of those people that has really weird things happen as a rule!! :/