hens mating hens

[Ellie]

My one RIR female used to mate other females, and I asked on here about it. Seems it is fairly normal in a flock without a rooster.

I now have a rooster, he is 16 or 17 weeks old and is mating nearly all the hens.... well, when they don't chase him off or peck him on the head

This morning, I saw one of my Buff Orpingtons mating another hen. She stayed on her for some time... grabbed her by the neck, the whole nine yards.

For those of you with roosters, do you see that behavior with your hens?

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

No, I've never seen this, but our roos are all hen-pecked by at least one other girl. The closest I've had to this experience is one of the hens 'dancing' (wing-waltzing, courting, etc...) another hen. Weird!

 

[Ellie]

Saw it again this evening.... hen mating hen.

Wonder when they will all mate with their new rooster?

 

[speckledhen]

Ellie, I dont know what to tell you. None of mine have ever done that.

 

[Ellie]

Oh, gee, if yours haven't done that, and you watch them closely, maybe mine are just weird...

Well, I do live in California, but these are hatchery birds from another state

I wonder if anyone has seen this type of behavior?

 

[speckledhen]

Well, it's obviously dominance behavior, but mine seem to bully the others without " going rooster", LOL.

 

[PQ]

Hello, I have a standard cochin that I thought was a female, I separated it from the others and waited and waited for a egg. He/she has never crowed never layed a egg but always try to do te get up and go with our RIR.
Is yours laying yet? See you have a rooster. Sometimes if you dont have a roo a hen or hens will take that part, or if you got a rooster after having the hens for awhile. Sometimes crowing, getting rubbery like spurs and yes mounting other hens.
Have a nice day, the weather is finally looking good today LOL
Said we are going to get snow/rain tonight, so tired of living in the mud

 

[Ellie]

Thanks for the reply, PQ. The hens that are doing the rooster thang are truly egg laying hens. I have an RIR who is Queen of the flock and she has done this for a time while I had no rooster. Now, a buff orpington did the same thing which she hasn't done before so I thought it strange. Now, I DO have a rooster who is only 17 weeks old so maybe they are just all settling down.

He does his rooster job all day it seems... maybe they will "get it" soon!

 

[JennsPeeps]

They're protesting proposition 8.

I've read of other hens taking a dominant position and "mating" other hens, as well as of roos doing this. It's not super common but it does happen.

 

[Ellie]

Good thing they can't vote.