Lady acts like a dude...

[debid]

SO, I have this EE pullet and she's apparently decided that she should be the rooster of the flock. But, there is already a cockerel in charge. She tries to interrupt when he mates with any of the other pullets (as in she runs over and pecks him on the head while he's mounted). She charges him with hackles flared (and no, I don't mean the back of her head, she flares the whole neck like he does). I saw her raise her feet and fly at him today and on another occasion they engaged in a really weird shoving match. I just don't know what to make of it. He is very tolerant of her outbursts and just gives her a gentle peck on the head to remind her that he's in charge. OH, and she is trying to boss the other pullets around (runs to round them up just like he does) and today she tried to charge our dog (he didn't even notice). She's laying just fine so I don't think it's hormonal. Is she a mental case or is the meek and mild cockerel too much of a pushover for a bossy biddie and she thinks she has a shot at overthrowing him?

 

[hmmcc123]

Curious, where did you get your EE? We got ours through a local farm supply who gets them from Privett Hatchery. My EE hens from there are nuts. lol

 

[keesmom]

Are you 100% positive this EE is producing eggs? What color eggs?

EEs are tough to sex. Any chance it really is a cockerel? Any pictures?

 

[debid]

Oh, yes, she's a girl. She lays big, blue-green eggs. There are only 3 EE pullets here and they lay very different eggs (sage green typical egg shape, sky blue with white specks and pointy end, and crazy bird's blue-green oval where you can barely tell which end is which). I've caught all 3 in the act of laying so I know whose eggs are whose. She also has female duckwing coloration so her gender has been obvious since she sprouted chest feathers. She's just always been a bit nuts.

And no, she's not from a big hatchery.

The only photos I have of her uploaded are old but this is crazy Gertie pre-POL:

 

[debid]

Oh, and she's highly submissive to humans. Pretty much any human gets a squat when they approach. Total hussy.

When she first started laying, she'd follow the cockerel around like some sort of groupie and preen him if he stood still. Now she just wants to kick his butt.

 

[jeslewmazer]

Yeah, it sounds like she thinks she should rule the roost and the actual Rooster just does not seem to find it a problem.

Some roos are more of a pushover than others. Just the same as some roos are to rough while others are not. How old is she? I see bossy behavior similar to hers mostly in the younger hens or in older hens that have to have a very dominate roo (but gentle of course). As long as she is not causing too much damage, I think she should eventually settle down.

Oh, she might even start trying to crow if she thinks that she is "The Rooster".

Just so you know it can happen.

 

[Breac]

It's possible you might have a hermaphrodite chicken on your hands. I had one too a few years ago. S/he looked like a roo, crowed like a roo and mated like a roo, but s/he was actually a pretty good layer!

I believe it has to do with how chickens develop: they are born with both sets of reproductive organs. If it's a hen, one ovary and the testes atrophies, and one ovary develops. If it's a roo, both ovaries atrophy and the testes develop. In some rare cases, I've heard that certain chickens can get "stuck in the middle" so to speak. Perhaps your girl has a bit of rooster in her!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Ahhh the best of both worlds - you get the protector your flock needs and the egg layer you want at the same time

 

[aoxa]

I have an older hen that does that to a younger roo. All will get really mad if they squat and the rooster tries to mount, but is not successful. They will peck at him and chase him off.

Just wanted to say that your girl is absolutely beautiful!!!

 

[debid]

Quote:
Thanks! She's molted since then and is even more striking now with her iridescent green necklace and chocolatey brown back with gold feather shafts. Very colorful for a pullet.

But I knew she was a troublemaker when she was 4 weeks old and hid under the deck refusing to come out for anything. I had to get my kids to crawl under. Her nickname has been "crazy Gertie" or "troublemaker" ever since.