My hen is acting like a rooster?!

[sagehound]

I have 17 hens and they are 18 weeks old. The head hen has been crowing like a rooster since she was 14 weeks old. Today when I went out to feed she was mounting another hen. I had read that sometimes in a backyard flock without a rooster the lead hen will sometimes take on the characteristics of a rooster but obviously can't fertilize eggs. She is starting to be a real bitch and I'm hoping that she will start to lay eggs and get over this. My question is: 1. Will she stop acting like a rooster once she is old enough to lay eggs? 2. Is there anything I can do to help her with this identity crisis? 3. What happens when and if I get a rooster?

Has anyone experienced this before?

P.S. I ordered all of the my chickens from Meyers and she was the extra chick they gave me so I could give her eggs away. So I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have messed up and given me a rooster?!

 

[Helloworld]

Do you have a picture of your hen?

 

[DobieLover]

I have 17 hens and they are 18 weeks old. The head hen has been crowing like a rooster since she was 14 weeks old. Today when I went out to feed she was mounting another hen. I had read that sometimes in a backyard flock without a rooster the lead hen will sometimes take on the characteristics of a rooster but obviously can't fertilize eggs. She is starting to be a real bitch and I'm hoping that she will start to lay eggs and get over this. My question is: 1. Will she stop acting like a rooster once she is old enough to lay eggs? 2. Is there anything I can do to help her with this identity crisis? 3. What happens when and if I get a rooster?

Has anyone experienced this before?

P.S. I ordered all of the my chickens from Meyers and she was the extra chick they gave me so I could give her eggs away. So I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have messed up and given me a rooster?!

You could very well have a cockerel on your hands. As @Melky wrote, post a picture.

I too purchased from Meyer and they only offer a 90% sexing guarantee. I purchased 1 male and 10 females. I ended up with 2 males and 9 females.

 

[jolenesdad]

90% sexing rate is only an average, an errors are often made. If “she” is mounting and crowing, odds are that “she” is a “he”.

 

[snow5164]

My 90% sexing rate Columbia hens were 14 hens one rooster

My hens chased my poor ducks and jump on their backs , but there’s no crowing going on here . That’s a show of dominance, crowing is what roosters do. Pictures of head “ hen”please

 

[sagehound]

Ok, here "she" is at about 15-16 weeks old.

 

[Shadrach]

I'm no expert but with that comb developement at 14 weeks she looks awfully like a he to me.

 

[sagehound]

I'm no expert but with that comb developement at 14 weeks she looks awfully like a he to me.

Damn! is there anyway I can tell for sure?

 

[getaclue]

sage, you will just have to wait a bit longer, then you'll know for sure.

 

[sagehound]

sage, you will just have to wait a bit longer, then you'll know for sure.

I hate to sound dumb but how will I know? Other than having baby chicks running around.