Hen "mating" other hens?

[Cyprus]

Hello all
I just watched my Easter Egger hen act like she was mating my Australorp hen.
She didn't mount her but she did grab her by the neck, the australorp squatted, and the Easter Egger lowered her tail to the ground and wagged it like a rooster does when mating a hen.
I've never seen her do this before. Is this something dominant hens will do? I know the Easter Egger is not at the very top of the pecking order.

Thanks in advance
-Cyprus

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Do you have a rooster? Sometimes without a male the females will mate each other. Usually one female will play the role.

 

[Cyprus]

Do you have a rooster? Sometimes without a male the females will mate each other. Usually one female will play the role.

I have a bantam rooster in a tractor with bantam hens. No rooster is with the standards.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I have a bantam rooster in a tractor with bantam hens. No rooster is with the standards.

They're probably craving a males attention.

 

[Cyprus]

They're probably craving a males attention.

Well they can wait until I get my Ameraucana cockerel next year

 

[RookieChickyMom]

They're probably craving a males attention.

What are u supposed to do if you can't keep males? Just let them deal with it?

 

[Chickassan]

Yep.

What are u supposed to do if you can't keep males? Just let them deal with it?

 

[snow5164]

It’s not actually “ mating “, it’s a show of dominance. Haven’t you ever seen a female dog “ hump” another dog??

It’s in animals nature to be dominant or submissive..... you guys watch too much tv ( this is a joke ... geez )

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

No, it's simulated mating. It isn't always a dominant hen doing it. I was without a muscovy drake for 2 years. A hen took on the role of drake and would mate the hens. She wasn't a dominant hen. She was the first to greet the new drake, and was the first to get mated by him. Poultry seem to know them my need to mate in order to reproduce. It's a strong instinct that will be fulfilled in anyway they can.

 

[Chickassan]

I try not to watch anything humping anything else. Kind of hard with chickens its like they want you to look so they do it in your path and as loud as possible! Never understood the dominace hump, what is gained by fighting it out with their butts?

It’s not actually “ mating “, it’s a show of dominance. Haven’t you ever seen a female dog “ hump” another dog??

It’s in animals nature to be dominant or submissive..... you guys watch too much tv