Hen Hackles

[takeo808]

I have three two month old hens (I hope). I was outside this morning watching them after I let them out of the coop. I notice that they like to stretch their wings and run around the coop. However, this morning I noticed that two of them will run around the run, meet in the middle and "chest bump" each other (like athletes after scoring). Or rather more to the point they come at each other like two fighting chickens would...wings flapping, feet extended, and hackles raised. Do hens have hackles? I hope so....I don't want/can't have roosters.

 

[timierinrn]

My hens would do that when I introduced new hens to the group. maybe it is a dominance thing? can you post pics of them?

 

[takeo808]

Pictures of them "fighting" would be hard. It's hard enough to get a picture of them standing still. I swear if it wasn't for digital photos, I'd waste rolls and rolls of film of nothing but images of brown blurs.

 

[takeo808]

I'll take better pictures. Any suggestions on what to look at to better determine possible male features/characteristics?

 

[takeo808]

I don't know if it will help, but they're brown productions layers.

 

[speckledhen]

All chickens have hackle feathers. They're just neck feathers, but roosters' are usually pointed. And yes, pullets fight like that. It's pecking order and they all do it.

 

[takeo808]

Thank you...I think I just got a little freaked out when I saw them going at each other with their feet like that. I assumed pecking order had something to do with them pecking at each other -- not trying to slash at each other with their "spurs".

 

[takeo808]

I really tried to take a good picture of their neck feathers. The feathers on the back of their necks look long and slender and appear to come to a point. I know I'm worrying unnecessarily, but I kind of like these chickens and wouldn't want to get rid of them if they're roosters. I know ultimately it's a wait and see kind of thing, but...

Here's the best picture I could get of the neck feathers:

 

[takeo808]

A picture of their long, narrow, pointed neck feathers

 

[sourland]

As speckledhen has stated - normal play/pecking order adjustment for young pullets and even mature hens upon occasion. They look like red sex link pullets of some sort.