Hens Mounting Other Hens

[centrarchid]

I have a group of about a dozen hens and pullets (in lay) to be used as the next round of broodies for eggs coming from brood pens. Normally they have an American Dominique rooster running with them to supply genetic marker in the event I slip up on switching eggs and to provide limited hawk protection. Currently I have no rooster and hens can not get with males in breeder pens. Currently all females are stacked up in the I am in lay and want to breed mode. The females actually represent two groups that intermingle when I arm feeding stations. Intermingling results in aggression. Normally aggression involves very consistent displays and sometimes outright fighting. As of late yesterday it resulted in some hens crouching as they do for rooster and other aggressive birds mounting them in an odd aggressive act that resembled a rooster's efforts to mate but did not involve a cloacal kiss.

 

[TwoCrows]

I have never had this happen in my chicken flock, but I have had this go on in my quail aviaries. When females are kept from males, the hens will become a bit aggressive with other hens and mount them as well. They go thru much of the mating motion, but there is no actual cloacal kiss either.

I have a mated pair of quail that the female enjoys dominating her mate and will daily, mount him as he squats for her. She aggressively goes thru the motion of mating and he screams. LOL Then they switch, and he mounts her and actually does the deed.

Interesting to watch the behaviors of poultry.