Dominate Hen, will she ever lay eggs again?

[Lillysmom]

Please help! I'm new to having chickens. My Orpington hens are 1 year old. I have no rooster. My dominate hen quit laying eggs and is mounting the other hens and being a bully. I'm wondering if she will ever lay again and if I rehome her, would another hen do the same thing and quit laying. I've read recently to put her by herself for a few days and that could help. But, I need advice from someone who has dealt with this before. I chose not to have a rooster because of young grandchildren that visit often.
Thank you!!

 

[QueenMisha]

Hormones and hen-acting roosters can be very tricky to predict. She may begin to lay again, she may not. If you rehome her, there's a possibility another hen will start up the same behavior, though I wouldn't say it's likely.

A rooster would solve the issue. Many roosters are extremely friendly around kids and adults alike, you just have to get the right one! Here is my boy Norman, and example of a very friendly rooster. He had about 1,000 different kids pet him when I took him to a recent three day agricultural fair. My point is that not all roosters are mean - and in fact many are quite friendly! You just need to get the right one.

 

[LilJoe]

Just to add onto the topic about nice roosters: chasing could cause a rooster to become mean, I'm not saying don't get a rooster just that your grandchildren might chase him or his hens.

 

[Lillysmom]

Thank you! I appreciate your advice!

 

[carlf]

How long has your dominant hen been doing this?
If she hasn't laid eggs for over a month and this has been going on a while, I would think she has some sort of hormonal issue and is done.
Time for her to visit the crockpot.

 

[Kev]

Not having a rooster is a perfectly fine decision and normally does not cause any problems in the flock.

Can you show pictures of the bird in question though?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Your birds will probably quit laying to molt, so that could be what's going on. Without a rooster in a flock one hen will sometimes take over the position. Removing her temporarily will probably do nothing. You will either have to put up with it or remove the hen permanently.

 

[Lillysmom]

She been not laying for a month and that's also when I noticed her mounting one certain hen. It's never the others.

 

[carlf]

Is she also molting?
If so, that could explain things.

If she's not molting, chicken soup.

 

[Lillysmom]

She doesn't appear to be molting.