All of them (male/female) can, and do, get nippy, but only the males persist -far longer than the females- until `proper' order is achieved. The male sparring can go on for several days, two will gang up on one, the loser will mope around with head hung low, drool running from beak, wings down looking for all the world like he will die within the hour. Don't be fooled, he is already plotting a subsequent usurpation. If your sparrers are intent and continue the neck wrapping/snood pulling/beak locking for more the a half-an-hour, they're jakes/toms in training.
This is a bit of interplay between the sexes. Our Slate hen is molting and short tempered, our Slate tom was getting too familiar for her liking:
Her poult saw/heard what mama was doing and decided to practice (is female):
Ususally it is just the toms abrading one another's heads and causing snoods to bleed:
We keep our guy's spur tips scratched flat with a file (bruises from kicks but no lacerations), pine tar if they seem to be getting out of hand (they hate biting into that stuff on one another's heads). Once things are settled they'll get along fine for a wihile. As they get older the sparring seems to take on a more formal and less wild quality (shorter duration/fewer superficial injuries).
