New with chickens

[LoveMyChicks12]

Hi! I'm a new chicken , I got 12 day old chicks in Feb. I got 3 Barred Rocks, 2 Black Australorps (sp), 2 brahams, 3 speckled sussex and 2 mystery chicks. Since then a large, 4 foot long, rat snake got the 2 mystery chicks and one speckled sussex. The other 9 are doing wonderful, even though I don't have any eggs yet. So far I think I have all girls, until tonight, when one started riding another one. They are now 19 weeks old, when do the girls start laying, and is it 'normal' for girls to 'ride' another one, or is this a Roo?

 

[CapricornFarm]

I am pretty sure it could be a dominance issue between hens, but it could also be a cockerel. The average pullet starts to lay around 6 months but there are a lot of factors involved. If you post pictures of the chicken doing the riding behavior, someone may be able to tell if it is a male.

 

[LoveMyChicks12]

I wanted to get photos tonight, but I didn't have my phone, and it's raining. SOOOOO, I will try to catch them in action tomorrow.

 

[Kiki]

Welcome to BYC.
I look forward to seeing your pics!
Be sure to check out this video, it will help you learn to navigate this site.

 

[Pork Pie]

Hello and welcome to BYC - thanks for joining us

 

[drumstick diva]

Welcome to Backyard chickens. You can post photos at "what breed or gender is this." to find out if you hen is a rooster in disguise.