Hen thinks she's a rooster?

[SassyKat6181]

I got rid of my rooster last summer because he had become really mean, towards the hens and my family. He would pull the feathers from the tops of their heads and their poor little backs were bald.

I have noticed in the last few weeks that the girls are again losing feathers on heads and backs. Looking out the window one day, I saw a hen on top of another hen, as if mating. I know for sure there aren't any roosters in there. Problem is, I only saw it once and can't decipher which of the red hens it was. I look and look all day and still miss it. I stood in the barn one night for over an hour and thought I had narrowed it down to 2 possible hens. When I went to pick each one up, they both squatted for me.

Any suggestions on how to figure out which hen it is? The girls are not happy and this one has to go. Will another take her place?

 

[BlueCopperMaran]

do you have just rhode island reds or something else?

 

[SassyKat6181]

I have a mix, Barred Rock, Black sexlink, Australorp, and Reds. I saw a dark red hen on top, and I only have 4 of those. Maybe I could quarantine those 4 and keep a closer watch? I have 31 hens total.

 

[BlueCopperMaran]

So you have a mix a barred rock black sexlinks a australorp and reds maybe one of the red were on top