I have an Australorp mix that is acting a bit strange. On Tuesday "Gracie" mounted a hen. I know others have seen this, but this is a first for me. I have had chickens since 2003, but never had a Hen go Roo. I know for a fact that Gracie is a hen. She was hatched here 4 years ago. Lays a Jumbo Brown egg and is constantly trying to go broody. I will not let her set because she is inconsistent with her setting. She will not pick a particular nest, even if I do leave eggs. She will go out and then come back to a different nest everytime. I have even found her setting in a corner on the floor growling at me. The ladies haven't had a roo since July 15. Mighty Mouse(pure Ameraucana) kept getting more and more aggressive with the hens and I will not tolerate that. They weren't going to last long in the heat with that overly hormoned idiot running them to death. Maybe Gracie is trying to show that she would be a better Rooster. Sorry Gal that don't make fertile eggs or pure blooded chicks. Matt
They can, and do. This usually occurs when an ovary fails. This leads to a change in chemicals released by the brain and the chicken grows a huge crest and spurs. While they look like a roo they still have female reproductive organs and so cannot mate. Similar thing can be seen in humans if females are given testosterone. Woka
