Help! Fighting or Mating

[Alte Vogel]

I got up late this morning because I have been under the weather. So, unfortunately I let my chickens out of the coop an hour later than usual. A little after they were let out in their run I saw one of my so called "hens" chasing my cochin, pinned her down and was pecking at her. I was watching this behavior from my window so I couldn't tell whether she/he was on top of the cochin. I went out to the pen and he/she was chasing her again. Could this be that they were locked up too long, just chicken behavior, or is my hen a roo? The EE in question is 23 weeks and the blue cochin is 22 weeks. Maybe you can tell from my pix below whether I have a roo or hen.

Thanks for the help. I am a new chicken Mom and don't know about such things. BTW none of my "hens" have started to lay.

 

[nurse_turtle]

She must be a member of the "mean girl's club".

 

[chickened]

She looks like a hen, sometimes in the absence of a rooster a hen will assume the rooster role, I cannot remember what it is called but they will even attempt to crow. Or they are just resolving the pecking order.

 

[sourland]

She is a pullet - just reaffirming her dominance over the cochin.

 

[Alte Vogel]

Quote:
Thank you for all the reassuring responses. Lucy better be good or Santa won't come to see her. Princess, my cochin, is a very timid, quiet girl. I felt so sorry for her.