Fighting hen and rooster?

[5hens&aroo]

Okay so yesterday afternoon all my chickens were free ranging about and I noticed that one of my older hens and a young rooster were both bent down flaring their neck feathers at each other and dancing around like two roosters would do. They never did jump at each other or anything but is this a normal behavior? Is my hen really a hen? Does this young rooster just not realize he doesn’t need to fight his girls or what? The EE is the hen and the Sussex mix is the young rooster.

 

[Njroosters]

It happens all the time. The older hand may kick the little roosters butt for quite some time. I've seen this especially when the rooster is small and the older hens are quite large

 

[Ridgerunner]

You do not have a rooster, you have a cockerel. The hen is probably your dominant hen, the top of the pecking order. The cockerel is feeling his hormones and wants to be the dominant chicken but he isn't there yet. He's getting ready to challenge her for flock dominance and she is having none of it. Perfectly normal.

What will happen in the future? He will eventually mature enough to take over. That may involve some fighting, it could be pretty peaceful. I've had it go both ways. When will that happen? Could be the next few days, could be a few months away. Each chicken is an individual and each time is different.

 

[5hens&aroo]

It happens all the time. The older hand may kick the little roosters butt for quite some time. I've seen this especially when the rooster is small and the older hens are quite large

Okay thanks! I was just hoping I didn’t miss something and I actually had an EE rooster. I was 98% sure she was laying but then I had a panick moment!