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Barnyard Buddies:  Strange hen question  |
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mamasunshine
Farmgirl in Training
18 Posts
Stella
Humboldt County
Ca
18 Posts |
 Posted - Sep 29 2009 : 09:16:17 AM
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We have a hen who is acting like a rooster. She is very aggresively mounting the other hens. Is this normal?
Juggling children and chickens while trying to find time to laze in the sun. |
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4HMom
True Blue Farmgirl
720 Posts
Kelly
Montana
720 Posts |
Posted - Sep 29 2009 : 09:48:14 AM
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Do you have a rooster? I know that sometimes in flocks that are just hens, one may become "rooster-like" and agressive. In some cases, I've even heard of hens making crowing-like sounds. How many hens do you have?
"Be the change you want to see in the world" -Gandhi |
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mamasunshine
Farmgirl in Training
18 Posts
Stella
Humboldt County
Ca
18 Posts |
Posted - Sep 29 2009 : 12:49:29 PM
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We have 2 roosters and 17 hens.
Juggling children and chickens while trying to find time to laze in the sun. |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Sep 29 2009 : 1:09:30 PM
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I have had dominate hens in the past, if they don't settle down, I end up butchering them cause they will injure the other hens, and if your other hens are raising chicks, they will even attack and kill the chicks.
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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4HMom
True Blue Farmgirl
720 Posts
Kelly
Montana
720 Posts |
Posted - Sep 29 2009 : 1:59:33 PM
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I agree with Teresa...weird that you have a dominant hen in the presence of 2 roosters! I'm anxious to hear how things turn out. Good luck.
"Be the change you want to see in the world" -Gandhi |
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mamasunshine
Farmgirl in Training
18 Posts
Stella
Humboldt County
Ca
18 Posts |
Posted - Oct 04 2009 : 10:06:15 AM
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Is it possible to have a hermaphorditic(sp?) chicken? This chicken is frieking me out. She/he is so mean. The chicken is bigger than the roosters. I just don't know ... I have a feeling she'll be meeting the axe soon. (hope that doesn't sound too harsh!)
Juggling children and chickens while trying to find time to laze in the sun. |
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ZenGoddess
True Blue Farmgirl
613 Posts
Cindy
MO
USA
613 Posts |
Posted - Oct 04 2009 : 11:11:19 AM
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Oh I'm sorry but this is funny ! For the first time in my life I heard one of my own hens Crowing in the morning, we don't have a rooster, she was the bigger of the hens too! aggressive, etc.
My dd said I was hearing things, Ha! Now that I know it's happening to others I actually feel better, no hearing problem here!
Hugs,
ZenGoddess/Southernplum
My life goal is to Simply - Simplify my life.
http://herbalcottage.blogspot.com
http://herbalcottage.etsy.com |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Oct 04 2009 : 3:50:48 PM
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It is not that uncomman to find double sexed animals, it is usually human caused by improper breeding, i.e. in-breeding, and continueing a bloodline that has this problem poping up alot. I would dipose of the he/she hen, and if you know the lines, or where you got her from, I would not get anymore from them. If its a mail order company, I would notify them and tell them what you got.
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Oct 05 2009 : 03:40:35 AM
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We had a hen that I saw mount another hen once. She also crowed at times when we didn't have a rooster around. She also had killer spurs, a sweet disposition otherwise and layed very nice eggs.
She lived to 8
Weird isn't it?
In the aniaml kingdom, mounting same sex iddividuals is indeed a domimant display.
If your other hens are starting to loose feathers or are just getting plain 'ole beat up, yes, you might want to reconsider rehoming or consuming....sad as it is.
Separating on a permantne basis would obviously help, but as soon as this one is back with the others, the same behavior might resume with a vengence. |
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BarefootGoatGirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1495 Posts
Corrine
North Carolina
USA
1495 Posts |
Posted - Oct 05 2009 : 05:53:10 AM
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very interesting, i'll have to stash this info away for future use. i've seen cows behave this way when the breeding season started, but no bull was turned it. for some reason it never occured to me that it could apply to poultry.
btw...since butchering has been suggested, what method do you ladies use to end the lives of your birds? i place my foot on the neck just behind the head and jerk the feet upward very quickly to break the neck. to some, it may sound brutal, but i am always afraid that if i try the ax on a flopping girl my aim will be poor and i will mutilate while she dies a horrable death.
What we write today slipped into our souls some other day when we were alone and doing nothing.
-Brenda Ueland
http://quilandneedle.blogspot.com/
http://musingandmuttering.blogspot.com |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Oct 05 2009 : 4:24:34 PM
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| i have lots of poultry and never knew this type of thing existed. man has changed so many things god made good its actually sad. i butcher every year and i use cones and turn them upside down with their head out the end. after a minute or two i cut the neck veins the and debrain the bird so it does not feel the knife.they bleed well this way too. i love chickens and every thing farm. |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Oct 06 2009 : 03:45:03 AM
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I use the bloodless method same as you. Jerk up hard. It's instant and not messy.
Hate to do it, but a fact of life sometiems |
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mamasunshine
Farmgirl in Training
18 Posts
Stella
Humboldt County
Ca
18 Posts |
Posted - Jan 02 2010 : 1:14:57 PM
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I just wanted to follow through on this thread, and let everyone know that the 2 hens that were behaving strangely ended up being roosters. They both just started crowing at 8 months old. I didn't realize some roosters matured this late.
Juggling children and chickens while trying to find time to laze in the sun. |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jan 02 2010 : 3:28:12 PM
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Stella, if there are other roosters around it takes young ones a little longer to show theirselves. Once they get started though, it's hard to shut them up. I had a bunch of eggs hatched this past summer with lots of roos. i guess they were about 6-7 months when they crowed. And all of them didn't. The one I kept just really started crowing good this past month.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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Barnyard Buddies: Strange hen question |
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Strange hen question
