Sudden change in behavior

[My Hens and Roo]

I have a Pair of Sultans, Hen & Roo. They are our youngest (1.5years) and they co-habitate with a flock of four other wide bodied hens.
My little hen has recently been puffing herself up, opens her tail into a triangle (a sultan thing I think), makes a low clucking noise instead of her usual Sultan song, and will spontaneously make a horrible shrieking noise. She is eating, drinking and laying like normal. Sultans are generally not known to be good layers or mothers. This little gal lays 5/6 eggs weekly and has taken up "sitting" on her eggs as of about one month ago though not broody. I don't know if this is relevant.
Another weird thing... We have a RIR hen who, when we had to re-home our huge roo, kind of took over the role of rooster. Yes, she did. Her comb grew, so did her waddle and yes, she likes the ladies and no, she doesn't crow. I also don't know if this is relevant but she somehow might have something to do with the change of behavior as she will get in the sultans "space" and she will puff up as well.
What is going on here?
Anything ideas?

 

[sourland]

It sounds as if the Sultan is considering going broody. The RIR may simply have taken the dominant role in the flock or she may have an ovarian tumor which is actually causing a sex change. A friend of mine had a RIR hen that at 5 yrs old turned into a rooster - molted into full rooster feather and started crowing. I had heard about the possibility of such a thing happening but had never seen it in over 65 years of being around poultry.

 

[My Hens and Roo]

It sounds as if the Sultan is considering going broody.  The RIR may simply have taken the dominant role in the flock or she may have an ovarian tumor which is actually causing a sex change.  A friend of mine had a RIR hen that at 5 yrs old turned into a rooster - molted into full rooster feather and started crowing.  I had heard about the possibility of such a thing happening but had never seen it in over 65 years of being around poultry.

 

[My Hens and Roo]

I'm far more concerned about my sultan than my transgender RIR ha. She's been doing the dominant thing for well over a year.
This new behavior with my little sultan is in just the last few days. She seems to separate herself from the flock more than usual. This "puffing up thing" Is strange to say the least. If she were sick she surely wouldn't be eating and drinking? What do you think?
Thank you for your time. Really worried.

 

[socalifgal]

Did you ever figure out what was happening with your lil girl? Seems I'm having the same problem with my RIR. She has been fluffing her feathers, making weird clucking sounds, and has become very broody and mean. I have been searching this site for the last couple of days and found your post. Hopefully you can shed a little light to her behavior. I was searching for possible kidney failure. Realize that you posted over a year ago,but I was curious to your findings.