High pecking order hens are stopping breeding to low pecking order hen

[Trish1974]

I added a rooster to my flock of 2 year old hens a few months ago, and this strange behavior started immediately. I figured everyone would quite down in time but it has yet to stop. Two of my "mean girls", who are 2nd and 3rd in the pecking order of the flock will attack my rooster and lowest pecking order hen when he mounts her. One will start pecking the head of the hen as the other one flogs the rooster of off her. Also, one of those hens will occasionally mount the lowest pecking order hen like she is breeding her, and this only started when I added the rooster. Why are they doing this and is there anything I can do to stop it?

 

[SueT]

I have similar issues. Not only about breeding, but they try to force all the youngers to the far back of the run and then patrol the area in their attempt to limit eating and drinking. I found that letting those 2 dominant hens out to free range relieves the social pressure on the rest. They want to control everyone, and this is my solution.
There are items called Pinless Peepers that snap on bullies' noses and prevent them from seeing ahead of them that can modify behavior.....

 

[Trish1974]

Most of the time there is no problem, but I have a very large run with lots of get-a-way places. But even when they are out during their supervised free ranging and the rooster mounts this particular hen the 2 mean girls will coming running no matter how far away they are to stop it. Unfortunately I bought this particular rooster (an araucana) to hatch eggs from the 2 lowest pecking order hens that are blue egg laying EEs.

 

[SueT]

Most of the time there is no problem, but I have a very large run with lots of get-a-way places. But even when they are out during their supervised free ranging and the rooster mounts this particular hen the 2 mean girls will coming running no matter how far away they are to stop it. Unfortunately I bought this particular rooster (an araucana) to hatch eggs from the 2 lowest pecking order hens that are blue egg laying EEs.

I have seen mine do that exact thing. Why not let the meanies out to free range, then let the rooster stay in with the others and safely be able to mate w them. You should be able to achieve fertile eggs w them that way. One mating fertilizes eggs for several days if not weeks.
I am considering not keeping my 2 meanies. I have raised another batch of chicks of a breed I prefer. There's a poultry swap nearby each month, and I am going to sell my extra cockerel, and I may bring the 2 bully hens as well. I have to wait till May and will decide.

 

[RWise]

Letting them go would be an option. I would put the 2 meanies in separate private quarters for a few days to change the pecking order. I have seen this in my flock, but the rooster took care of it after a while, telling the "meanie" that he would mate whom he wanted..

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I added a rooster to my flock of 2 year old hens a few months ago, and this strange behavior started immediately. I figured everyone would quite down in time but it has yet to stop. Two of my "mean girls", who are 2nd and 3rd in the pecking order of the flock will attack my rooster and lowest pecking order hen when he mounts her. One will start pecking the head of the hen as the other one flogs the rooster of off her. Also, one of those hens will occasionally mount the lowest pecking order hen like she is breeding her, and this only started when I added the rooster. Why are they doing this and is there anything I can do to stop it?

This behavior is often seen when you add an adolescent rooster to a flock of older hens. The natural behavior of all chickens is for there to be a boss or older chicken over a flock of subservient hens. It is extremely common for high ranking hens to do all the dirty work for the hen or hens that are the boss hen over the before mentioned high ranking hens, especially if those high ranking hens are on the cusp of of taking over the flock in their own right. When the cockerel or rooster comes into his own he will establish personal dominance over the whole shooting match and things will quieten down.

 

[Trish1974]

This behavior is often seen when you add an adolescent rooster to a flock of older hens. The natural behavior of all chickens is for there to be a boss or older chicken over a flock of subservient hens. It is extremely common for high ranking hens to do all the dirty work for the hen or hens that are the boss hen over the before mentioned high ranking hens, especially if those high ranking hens are on the cusp of of taking over the flock in their own right. When the cockerel or rooster comes into his own he will establish personal dominance over the whole shooting match and things will quieten down.

That makes sense. Thank you!

 

[centrarchid]

This behavior is often seen when you add an adolescent rooster to a flock of older hens. The natural behavior of all chickens is for there to be a boss or older chicken over a flock of subservient hens. It is extremely common for high ranking hens to do all the dirty work for the hen or hens that are the boss hen over the before mentioned high ranking hens, especially if those high ranking hens are on the cusp of of taking over the flock in their own right. When the cockerel or rooster comes into his own he will establish personal dominance over the whole shooting match and things will quieten down.

Every once in a while this guy does slip up and not try to pull your leg. Example here.