Funny Incident

[Shaylynne]

Quick set up: This last month we got an 8 week old German Shepard puppy. Puppies have to go outside every hour to use the bathroom, etc. I haven't been able to let my 6 girls out much to roam or interact with them as much as usual for the last month. I typically would always reach down and give the girls a nice pat or stroke on their back when they did their submissive squat (we have never had a rooster), but haven't done that much since the puppy.

So this evening, I let the chickens out to do some daily chores for the coop. A moment after I let them out, one of the girls did their submissive squat and darned if one of my buffs didn't grab the back of her neck and hop up on her back and jump up and down a couple times! I was almost in disbelief of what I saw and shook my head like, no way. But it happened again a moment after that with a different girl and the same buff hopped on up. LOL!

I guess I need to give my girls some more attention.

Just had to share. Haha.

 

[Ridgerunner]

That behavior is not all that unusual in an all-hen flock or a flock without a dominant rooster. The mating behavior is about dominance as much or even more than it is about sex. The one on bottom is accepting the dominance of the one on top, either by force or willingly. In case you were not sure, now you know which is your dominant hen.