Touchy subject maybe

[colowyo0809]

So, I need to know something. How much like humans are chickens? Do they try to breed before they should? Or do they just know when it is ok? And should a rooster who is barely two months old be trying to breed a pullet that is also barely two months old?

not a sight I particularily needed this morning, my roo trying to breed the one pullet who is least likely to fight back.

Any thoughts?

 

[hallerlake]

Quote:
Could be a dominance behavior rather than sexual behavior?

 

[DTchickens]

Quote:
Could be a dominance behavior rather than sexual behavior?

Could be both. I've had a stag (Cockerel) about that age chase a full grown hen around trying to breed her, he crowed too. Just depends on when the hormones kick in I suppose.

-Daniel

 

[colowyo0809]

Quote:
Could be a dominance behavior rather than sexual behavior?

I thought that might be it, but all the signs point the other way. he was perched on her back, holding on with claws and beak (beak on the back of the neck) and doing this jerky spasming thing with the lower end of his body. I know what breeding looks like (even if I haven't seen it in chickens yet) and this definitly looked like breeding.

 

[PineappleMama]

I have three girls dogs, two different breeds, two are sisters... they all hump each other all the time... though it's rare to see the doxies try and mount our (fixed) terrier mix since she's twice their height...

I'm leaning toward dominance but could be practice too...

 

[pgpoultry]

Sounds like the dominance thing.

My adult Brahma boys occasionally do the mating dance, leg and wing outstretched to each other and then try to mount. Three big boys all do it from time to time depending on who is trying to be alpha male.

Our lambs from earlier this year regularly mount each other...ram on ram, ewe on ewe, ewe on ram, and ram on ewe. It is clearly a dominance thing given the dynamics and the fact that sheep are seasonal breeders.

It most probably will sort itself out once the pecking order is established,

sandie

 

[colowyo0809]

Thanks! I am rather new to chickens, so I'll defer on this one

It's the first time I've seen that particular dominate behavior. Normally the others just peck the younger ones on the head or back until they back down