Gender Identity Issues

[kgb6days]

I have a hen with gender identity issues. I have a total of 7 hens - 2 red stars, 4 black sex links, 1 EE. One of the black girls has decided to act as the rooster of the group and regularly mounts one of the red girls. She tried very hard to mount the other red girl who resists. This ends up in a chase around the run and the red girl doing everything in her power to get away. She now sits up on the roost that is in the run almost continually. She appears to get enough to eat and drink. There has been no bloodshed or decreased production in eggs. Should I intervene in any way or let it play itself out? getting a rooster is out of the question as I live in a development

Kristy in NC

 

[WannabeFarmer5]

Whoa, crazy hen! If I were you I would get a rooster to see if she settles or are you allowed roosters? Maybe you could try and find a more dominant hen?

 

[JaeG]

I have a little bantam Old English Game who does that to the Wyandotte bantams. It's just a display of dominance. You could try isolating the trouble maker for a day or so where she can see but not get to the others so that she loses her place in the pecking order.

 

[Ridgerunner]

It's not a gender identity issue, it's dominance as JaeG said. The one on bottom is accepting the dominance of the one on top, either willingly or by force. I've seen that in a flock without a dominant rooster. The dominant hen went through the mating routine with a couple of pullets, even as far as touching vents.

A whole lot of the problems people have with adolescent cockerels are not about sex at all, it's about them trying to assert dominance.

It's not a problem that you have to correct. It's fairly common in a flock that does not have a dominant rooster though in most flocks you don't see that.

 

[kgb6days]

I have a little bantam Old English Game who does that to the Wyandotte bantams. It's just a display of dominance. You could try isolating the trouble maker for a day or so where she can see but not get to the others so that she loses her place in the pecking order.

I just may try this - I'm tired of seeing my poor red girl sitting on the roost all day to get some peace

 

[User395221]

I just searched up this thread after I saw one of my girls on top of her "sister".... I hope she isn't making a habit of this, although the one pinned down didn't seem that upset when she got up.

 

[lazy gardener]

Yep, it's not a gender issue, it's a dominance issue, and unfortunately, if there is more than one bird (and there needs to be) you may see these displays. They are more upsetting to the humans observing than they are to the bird being dominated. The best you can do is: provide lots of space in coop and run (a minimum of 4 s.f. in coop and 10 s.f. in run/bird), provide diversionary activities (DL with scratch and other goodies to dig for), out of sight, and multi level areas, as well as multiple feed/water stations.

 

[User395221]

provide lots of space in coop and run

My 2 were out in the back yard, free ranging, when Raven did it. It certainly gave me a bit of a shock. I'd never really noticed/cared who was "top chook" in that group. Perhaps it's her? Or, perhaps she's challenging for the title now that the isa browns are "getting on a bit"?

 

[kgb6days]

Yep, it's not a gender issue, it's a dominance issue, and unfortunately, if there is more than one bird (and there needs to be) you may see these displays. They are more upsetting to the humans observing than they are to the bird being dominated. The best you can do is: provide lots of space in coop and run (a minimum of 4 s.f. in coop and 10 s.f. in run/bird), provide diversionary activities (DL with scratch and other goodies to dig for), out of sight, and multi level areas, as well as multiple feed/water stations.

The gender identity was said tongue in cheek - and all the above suggestions are covered. It seems to not cause any injuries so I'm not doing anything but handing another cabbage head to give them something new to do. Chickens. Who knew