Hen mounting other Hen

[babychickfarmer]

Sorry if this has already been asked before, but we don't have a rooster and we can't get one because of all the noise they make. But we did get this hen last year that was the domanit one out of the three we got and now she controls the whole flock. 1/2 the girls are messed up around thier tail feather ripped out and red and I always thought it was mites. turns out it's boba(the lead hen) she mounted Kanga in front of me and was ripping the feathers out of her hindside. Is there any way to stop this? Anything I can do besides getting a rooster?? Please I need something our hens are lookin a mess.


also Boba she still is laying eggs and she crouches when I get next to her for me to pick her up and she never crows ?

 

[Pinenot]

I really don't know what you can do to stop it. I will be interested to see how others reply. I see it as they are all stranded on an island and they know they can't get off the island...what do you do?

Oh...I am bad!

 

[stilwellchick]

I know what some other folks have done...when you approach the dominent hen if she squats, push down on her back and with the other hand grab her tail at the base (not to rough) and give it a shake. She will think there is a roo around the coop! If she doesn't squat for you do this any way and she will become more submissive. I wouldn't let her mount the other hens when you are able to push her away. You might also try to segregate her for a while so they can still see each other, while the injured hens heal. That may adjust the dominent hen order a bit. Hope this helps, keep us posted.

 

[hencackle]

I can't help but notice one of your hens is named Kanga. I had a smart EE rooster named Kanga that used to round up the hens in the field and bring them back home. I'd say, "Kanga, go get your girls", and he did. Oh, I miss my Kanga-rooster.

I was going to suggest separating Boba, but Stilwellchick beat me to post.

 

[BantyChickMom]

In a roosterless flock, the dominant hen will take on the role of a rooster and may even stop laying.
Even if you could have a rooster, it probably wouldn't help now...........the dominant hen would not allow the rooster to mate with the other girls.
The only option you have is to remove this hen for at least a few days and hopefully establish a new pecking order.
But your problem may return with a new dominant hen.

 

[babychickfarmer]

I'll try that shaking of the tail thing maybe that will help and I don't think I can really seperate them..I guess I could but the other chickens won't be around her because they have a bid run with lorralin half of it that they all hang out in and the only way to seperate her is pin off a part inside the covered part of the run.

 

[Scrambled Egg]

now that is just wrong....

 

[BaldMonkey]

Good to find this out, even though we have roos, you never know what can happen around here. I know when the boys mount each other, its their way to get the other one mad enough to rough house. But never heard of it with chickens before. good to know.

 

[SpottedCrow]

It's a dominance thing.
Boba's showing that she's dominant over Kanga.
You can try a chicken saddle so that it would protect her back a bit.

 

[crazylilchick]

I have a hen that is doing the same thing!!! I have 11 hens total (no roosters) and 3 of them are missing tail feathers. One of them I have separated in a dog kennel inside the coop because they pecked her so bad she was bleeding. One day I was just watching them and the dominant hen jumped on the back of another hen and held her down and grabbed her feathers on the back of her head like a pit bull. I have seen her do this to that same hen several times. Then one day her second in command came over while she was on the hens back and squeezed her head in between the two of them and helped her hold her down. WHAT TO DO???

I don't mind her being dominant but I don't want her pulling out tail feathers. Her second in command dose it too. According to the books the coop and run is more than enough space for them but I think I am going to try building them a bigger yard and see if that helps. I just wonder if I separate or get rid of the two trouble makers if the next hen in the pecking order won't pick up where they left off. The dominant hen eats out of my hand and squats when I pet her. Smart girl isn't dominant with me.