Hens acting like roosters!

[Dowie]

I have a VERY mixed flock - two bantam cochin hens, two large ISA brown hens, one HUGE rhode island white hen, and a funny little bantam araucana rooster.

Needless to say, my little bantam rooster (who I accepted because otherwise his head was for the block - I am such a sucker :rolleyes) is USELESS. He never intervenes when there is bullying between the hens. Nor do I think he is truly dominant. The result is that I think the pecking order has gone absolutely pear shaped.

1. The big hens have all decided that they will mate the little hens. This is new.
2. This is in spite of the fact that two of the big hens do submit to being mated by the rooster.

So ALL THREE big hens are acting like roosters??? I've heard about ONE hen acting like a rooster when there is no rooster, but WE HAVE A ROOSTER!!!

I'm getting worried that the little ones will be hurt, as last time we had a Rooster/Hen (Bustle), she went psychotic and tried to kill the little cochin she was 'mating'. She was seriously going to kill her. It was awful.


So any ideas? I wonder if I had a real manly rooster if this would be happening? My bantam rooster is so small that he can't even get the RIW to squat for him! She just sneers and walks away. Once he tried to 'throw his leg over' and fell off!

 

[mysweetgypsy]

I have a similar situation in my flock. I have 2 silkie roos, cute little fluff balls

My full size hens pretty much ignore the boys. One roo will be going to a new home and will be replaced with a BLRW roo, as soon as I decide which to keep

I think the lack of a good roo makes my girls a little more aggressive, and kind of cranky. They don't want to be "on guard" all the time, but who else will do it? I'm hoping a good full size roo will balance everything out

 

[Dowie]

It's interesting, I thought even a bantam roo would eradicate some bad behaviours. Hmmm.

I wish I knew why my big girls keep mounting my little girls! The little girls just hate it! I have to keep our flocks seperate now.