Rooster-raised Hen Behavior

[Wintry]

Hi everyone! I am new to the site and to chickens. I have two Brahma mixes and live in Alaska.

I have one hen (Brahma/Wyandotte mix) that was raised as a rooster with a flock of roosters for slaughter. Once the owners realized she was a hen, they gave her to a friend's flock. This chicken is now two years old and part of my flock as of three weeks ago.

Is it normal for this rooster-raised hen to watch over and periodically check the vent of another hen (a Brahma/Amerecauna mix who is lower in the pecking order) when she is nesting/sitting? My rooster-raised hen will stand over her and bend down to look at the vent every few minutes. She does not peck at or disturb the nesting hen other than this odd investigatory behavior.

After sitting for a bit, the hen gets out of her nest and the rooster-raised hen scratches the nest apart and picks at it with her beak as if she might be eating bugs.

I am wondering if this is a habit she learned from roosters...or is it potential egg-eating behavior?

Both hens came together and get along well. However, they have yet to lay any eggs in the three weeks since I've got them. I am told that this is because they need time to adjust to their new flock and environment. However, I am worried that the rooster-raised hen may be investigating the other hen because she's hoping for an egg to eat?...and maybe that's why I have yet to see any eggs?

 

[Chickassan]

No, they just look at each other's butts. Mine all inspect each other's butts, don't know why and honestly I'm not sure I want to know. It's just a chicken pastime, maybe it's because they don't have television.

 

[Wintry]

No, they just look at each other's butts. Mine all inspect each other's butts, don't know why and honestly I'm not sure I want to know. It's just a chicken pastime, maybe it's because they don't have television.

Thank you. I'm glad, as odd as it seems, it is considered normal behavior

 

[aart]

....or is it potential egg-eating behavior?

Could very well be...check for wet spots in nest bedding.
I wouldn't consider 'butt checking' to be a 'normal' chicken behavior....
....butt(haha!)I have seen an egg eater(of weak shelled eggs) tear up nests looking for more.

 

[Chickassan]

Well now i just think my girls are weird.Not going to tell them it would give them a complex.

 

[Wintry]

Could very well be...check for wet spots in nest bedding.
I wouldn't consider 'butt checking' to be a 'normal' chicken behavior....
....butt(haha!)I have seen an egg eater(of weak shelled eggs) tear up nests looking for more.

Thank you for the warning. I decided to lock them in the coop for a few days. There are few places to hide eggs and one of the three nesting boxes have ceramic eggs to encourage nesting box use and discourage egg eating. Day one has not yielded any eggs or nesting box use, but now at least I think I'd be able to tell if someone consumes an egg.

Have your chickens stopped laying for weeks at a time or have you had egg eating challenges before?

 

[aart]

Have your chickens stopped laying for weeks at a time or have you had egg eating challenges before?

Yes to both.
They can stop laying when moved to a new environment, they can stop laying when it's this time of year and need to molt, they can stop laying just because. Not all birds lay everyday, or even 5-6 days a week, Brahmas and Wynadottes are not prolific layers IME.
Your birds are 2 years old and have just been moved......you may not see eggs until after solstice. Not sure about the rest of your flock and what impact that may be having. Wonders if the hen who was living with the roosters was an egg eater and that's why she was living with the roosters.

The egg eating I have here has been primarily due to one hen that lays weak shelled eggs that are easily broken and thus fair game for eating IMO, but it has made a couple other hens hot to look for more, I think. Egg eating can be, or begin as, a nutrient deficiency..but it can turn into a habit. Maintaining good overall protein levels in feed, including animal protein, as well as good calcium levels can help prevent egg eating.

I have read stories about egg eaters stalking the layers waiting for that next morsel.
Have also read of egg eaters that lay an egg and turn around and eat it.

 

[Wintry]

Yes to both.
They can stop laying when moved to a new environment, they can stop laying when it's this time of year and need to molt, they can stop laying just because. Not all birds lay everyday, or even 5-6 days a week, Brahmas and Wynadottes are not prolific layers IME.
Your birds are 2 years old and have just been moved......you may not see eggs until after solstice. Not sure about the rest of your flock and what impact that may be having. Wonders if the hen who was living with the roosters was an egg eater and that's why she was living with the roosters.

The egg eating I have here has been primarily due to one hen that lays weak shelled eggs that are easily broken and thus fair game for eating IMO, but it has made a couple other hens hot to look for more, I think. Egg eating can be, or begin as, a nutrient deficiency..but it can turn into a habit. Maintaining good overall protein levels in feed, including animal protein, as well as good calcium levels can help prevent egg eating.

I have read stories about egg eaters stalking the layers waiting for that next morsel.
Have also read of egg eaters that lay an egg and turn around and eat it.

I didn't think it could be as late as solstice. I heard that brahmas were pretty good about laying in the winter, even if they lay less overall than other chickens. That they are mixed with brahmas may change this though :/

Hopefully the chickens are not suffering a nutrient deficiency given they have commercial 20% protein layer feed. I have also provided oyster shells and grit for them to consume at their leisure. I suppose if we feed them table scraps, though, that could lessen their overall protein intake.

This is day two of them locked in the coop and thus far no signs of an eaten egg. I figured if one did try to eat an egg, I'd either see disturbed bedding in the nesting boxes, or bits of egg fallen through the dropping boards. Maybe they just aren't in the mood to lay

 

[aart]

They all need to molt, and that usually happens as the days begin to shorten drastically, like in August, maybe even earlier in Alaska. How long they will take to finish molting and start laying depends on individual bird and nutrition.

commercial 20% protein layer feed

That's good, most layer rations are not that high in protein, it will help them thru the molt.

I'm assuming that these are your first and only 2 birds?
There's a lot to learn your first year, it's like getting a sip of water out of a fire hose.
Spend as much time as you can just reading here, you'll learn a bunch!