Hen mounting other hens...

[mollteaser]

My 10 year old daughter came tearing up the garden today, with a tale to tell.
" mum, I've had to have a word with Patty, she's just been trying to...do IT...with Wookie!"
I went down to have a look, and yes, my light Sussex was mounting and pecking my haze. The haze and the coucou were introduced about a month ago, and all is well, apart from the odd peck. She's not crowing, and I think she's started laying again this week, as has the haze. Is this a hormone surge/pecking order issue, and okay, or should I be worrying?:?:

The daughter has been very amused at the thought of lesbian hens! Lesbihens LOL!

 

[crazypianolady]

It's a dominance thing, in the absence of a cockerel the top hen will make the others submit. All normal, and nothing to worry about!

 

[mollteaser]

Cool, thanks! As long as she doesn't start crowing, that's fine with me. What 2 hens choose to do in the privacy of their pen is their own business:grin: Thanks CPL

 

[chrismahon]

Of course sometimes hens change sex. Damaged ovary causes surge of male hormone and they can grow a big comb, spurs, crow ,tread the girls but can't reproduce. Friend of mine has one. He was convinced it was a cockerel, despite what I told him, until he introduced another. One in 10,000 hens do this, so chances are Mollteaser it is as CPL says.

 

[mollteaser]

She seems to be laying, and I stood out in the rain for a while this afternoon giving them some corn, and she didn't attempt a mount, so hopefully Patty will not become Patrick:grin: