Hen turned Rooster !

[MaryBee115]

So I have read a lot of info online about hens turning into roosters...
We have 14 hens no roosters in our flock. I noticed a few weeks ago our Welsummer has been mounting another hen like a rooster would and I thought she was just showing dominance , but now she has done it to a few of the other hens ? AND I noticed she has small spurs growing !! What is going on ??? I do not want a rooster - already there are feathers everywhere now b/c of her and the hens feathers are not looking as robust as usual
I have to downsize I know that already, (a bit overcrowded in the roost) but I’m wondering if she will stop this behavior when I get rid of a few girls or if she’s really lost ovary production and is legit taking on the rooster lifestyle
Anyone had this experience before !!

 

[LilJoe]

She's just showing dominance. And hens can grow spurs, too. I have two orpington hens this inch long spurs!
How old? Picture?

 

[sourland]

here and have never had this happen in my flock, but I have seen it happen in a friend's flock where an elderly hen transitioned during a molt. She grew male typical feathering, spurs enlarged, comb enlarged, and she started crowing and breeding hens. We were going to necropsy her/him and check for ovarian tumors, but a fox snatched the bird. If you had never seen 'her' you would believe that 'he' was indeed a rooster.

To the OP , I doubt that your bird will stop acting like a rooster.

 

[tripletfeb]

I do not have experience with this but there are documented cases where a hen can turn in to a "rooster". They can take on all the characteristics of a rooster, comb and wattle development, crowing, strutting, feather change. The hen will stop laying eggs too. This can happen because of an illness where the only functioning ovary (left one) can become dormant. Then the non-functional ovary steps up and releases hormones that can physically change the hen to a rooster. But they will not be able to reproduce. So while they are not technically a rooster, physically they may look and act like one.

 

[sourland]

@MaryBee115, how old is your hen? From what I have read this phenomenon tends to happen in elderly hens with reproductive tract anomalies.

 

[SueT]

I have a dominant hen that mounts other hens. She is wearing Pinless Peepers because she caused a big bloody wound on a young rooster, and also tore the comb on another hen. The Peepers prevent pecking, but if the hens squat for her, she still can grab them. She lays about 1 egg a week. I let her free range a lot, testing the waters for predators. So far, none of the predators have wanted her. (she's 2 1/2 yrs)

 

[MaryBee115]

Here she is thanks for the input

 

[LilJoe]

Here she is thanks for the input

She looks like an older bird. So it's not that uncommon.

 

[Susan Dye]

Here she is thanks for the input

Proud she is

 

[TheTwoRoos]

She doesn’t look like she is transioning