Will a dominant hen 'mate' with other hens?

[Seatrout00]

I am wondering if I have a rooster. Its a Barred Rock that looks just like the other hens, only she's larger. She has black and white stripes, not gray and white, and a large, floppy comb. Today when giving mealworm treats, s/he mated with one of my Black Australorps - exactly like I've seen roosters mate with hens.

This chicken doesn't look at all like a rooster, save for s/he's larger than the other hens - do I have a rooster?

I have never heard them crowing and the hens only just started laying about a month ago.

My flock is all the same age, about 6 months old.

 

[WiddleChix]

Have you actually seen her lay an egg? A picture will help determining if she's actually a hen or rooster. If she really is a she the reason for "mating" with your other hens could be to show dominance is all I can think.

 

[Seatrout00]

Nope, the only two hens I've caught in the act of laying were one of my Sussexes and one of my Australorps. I haven't seen any of my 6 BR laying or in the nest box.

I thought too it could be a display of dominance, but it was so convincing - the cloacal brush and grabbing the other chicken by the neck feathers.

Do most roosters start crowing by the age of 6 months? None of my neighbors have complained about crowing and I've never heard it. The girls do talk a lot, but as of yet, nobody has crowed.

I will try to get a photo.

 

[WiddleChix]

It totally depends on the rooster some don't crow until they are 8+ months old especially if they are the only rooster and they are not very dominant. My only rooster just crowed for the first time today at 3 months old but he can hear the neighbors roosters crowing so I assume that's a reason he started crowing.

 

[WiddleChix]

Do you notice any saddle feathers? I could tell my rooster apart from my hens at 8 weeks because his saddle feathers started to come in.

 

[Seatrout00]

Do you notice any saddle feathers? I could tell my rooster apart from my hens at 8 weeks because his saddle feathers started to come in.

I don't. I will have to get some photos for you all. I had one BR rooster in the group I purchased that I could tell was a roo by the time he was a month old. He had the classic grey on white barring and was taller and had a different walk. All my BR look exactly alike, all black and white barring, nothing rooster-ish at all.