Off of her head, said the queen

[Callender Girl]

Billy Boy, my Bantam Cochin rooster, believes he is the poultry king and, as such, has the right to mate with any and all hens.

When I was going out to get everyone cooped up for the night, I saw Billy mount one of my Easter Eggers. Audrey normally outruns his advances. But he clearly had her in a head lock and was going to have his way with Audrey.

As Billy climbed aboard, my Midnight Majesty Maran -- named Eleanor of Aquataine, for the powerful queen of both France and England -- ran over, pecked BIlly hard on his head and ended his advances instantly. I think Her Majesty showed the little boy who really reigns in the land of chickens.

The whole show only lasted seconds. I'm pretty sure I laughed out loud for a full minute.

 

[Earthdale]

I've had that happen

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I very much appreciate the ability of older, more "mature" ladies to show the young boys "what for". Fixes a lot of behavior problems before I have to reach for the sharpening stone.

 

[Isadora]

This is just hysterical

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Hysterical is watching a very young (15-18 week) Roo just getting its hormones try and jump when of my 2year old dark brahma hens. They stand up quickly and walk off, as the young roo falls on its @$$!

I only have the 2 yr old D Brahma because a friend insists I not cull them - they have a small internet/Facebook following - but in this one small respect, they can be damned useful. The older silver-laced won't allow themselves to be mounted, its like they pull their own chair out from under the boys, mid hop.

The RSL? They would squat for anything! Even the cat. Stupid hens.

 

[3KillerBs]

Hysterical is watching a very young (15-18 week) Roo just getting its hormones try and jump when of my 2year old dark brahma hens. They stand up quickly and walk off, as the young roo falls on its @$$!

My Black Langshan boy, who will officially become a rooster this week, is such a gentleman that I have only once ever seen him attempt to mate.

That was back when he was about 6-7 months old and I caught him hen-surfing on top of the Light Brahma. She ran about 8-10 feet before he fell off then she turned around and chased him around the feeder.

I'm making saddles for a few girls who are getting barebacked, but it's not because the cockerels aren't respectful. The older ladies have seen to that.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I think Her Majesty showed the little boy who really reigns in the land of chickens.

That sounds like petty typical behavior when you have an immature cockerel in a flock of mature hens. Mating behavior is about dominance, that dominant hen won't allow the immature cockerel to mate in front of her, even if the other hen is willing. That would be a challenge to her dominance. The same type of behavior happens when the dominant chicken is a mature rooster, he knocks the cockerel off too. I've had a dominant hen mate another hen in front of the cockerel to show that she is the dominant one. As long as he has room to run away she's not likely to hurt him.

What I generally see happen is that the boy eventually matures enough to take over the flock as the dominant flock master. Usually that is a pretty peaceful transition, I hardly ever see any real violence. But occasionally that dominant hen does not want to give up her dominant position and he has matured to the point he won't allow her to bully him any more. I've had things get pretty violent between the dominant hen and that boy until she finally gives in and accepts his dominance. The worst was two days where it was pretty brutal but they eventually worked it out and they became best buddies.