Old "dog" learning new tricks

[BBQ2U]

My hubby & I retired to the country instead of traveling the world or moving to sunny FL. His dream was always to live off the land. Would have loved to join the Amish, but alas he married me. I'm afraid that is off the table now. So, here we are with a flock of dual purpose egg-laying chickens and a beautiful rooster and an incubator 22 eggs full for hopefully meat. Not sure how I feel about that. Strange things happen and I've found your thread so helpful. But, here is a question no one has asked or answered. We got our rooster 11 months into raising our hens. He's the same age as the hens and is a wonderful addition. However, when he mates a hen, in the process, all the other hens run over to the scene and beat up on the hen being mated. It's so odd. Also, when the hens lay an egg, the roo sings the egg laying song so loudly. What's going on?

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
I've seen that behavior before. They're basically fighting over breeding rights. I hope it doesn't go to his head.

 

[Grammy60]

Hello and welcome to BYC Thanks for joining us

 

[Jenbirdee]

My hubby & I retired to the country instead of traveling the world or moving to sunny FL. His dream was always to live off the land. Would have loved to join the Amish, but alas he married me. I'm afraid that is off the table now. So, here we are with a flock of dual purpose egg-laying chickens and a beautiful rooster and an incubator 22 eggs full for hopefully meat. Not sure how I feel about that. Strange things happen and I've found your thread so helpful. But, here is a question no one has asked or answered. We got our rooster 11 months into raising our hens. He's the same age as the hens and is a wonderful addition. However, when he mates a hen, in the process, all the other hens run over to the scene and beat up on the hen being mated. It's so odd. Also, when the hens lay an egg, the roo sings the egg laying song so loudly. What's going on?

how many hens do you have for that one roo?

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Hi and welcome to BYC! May you have many wonderful adventures in your new life. Sometimes it's hard to figure out what chickens are thinking, or why they do the things they do. Chickens are just as smart as most other bird species, but birds are for sure wired different than mammals. My thought re why the other hens gang up on a hen that is being mated, is they see the hen in a submissive, i.e. weak position, and decide to take advantage to enforce their status in the pecking order. I had that thought especially because your hens lived without a rooster for their first 11 months, and so are not used to seeing the submissive behavior. Do the other hens do this no matter which hen is being mated? Your question is a very good one to make a thread and ask in the chicken behaviors and egg-laying forum.

 

[N F C]

Hello, it's nice to have you here with us! I agree with @Allsfairinloveandbugs, try posting in this forum to see what feedback you get: Chicken Behaviors and Egglaying

Best wishes!

 

[BBQ2U]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
I've seen that behavior before. They're basically fighting over breeding rights. I hope it doesn't go to his head.

LOL. You mean the hen is jealous he choose another another? He's a doll. We call him Fabio.

 

[janiedoe]

Welcome to BYC. I've had a few hens that would attack a hen while she was being bred. They were always the dominant hens in the flock.

 

[Prince and Pavo]

Hello, and welcome to the community! Thanks for joining!

As far as the other hens picking on the hen being mated, I’d agree with @Allsfairinloveandbugs, that they are taking advantage of her weaker or submissive state to establish or enforce their dominace over her.

Now, the rooster echoing the hen’s egg-laying clucks, that’s completely normal, and my rooster does that all the time LOL. I think it’s one of the funniest things and I love hearing it—it always makes me smile.

 

[BBQ2U]

Hi and welcome to BYC! May you have many wonderful adventures in your new life. Sometimes it's hard to figure out what chickens are thinking, or why they do the things they do. Chickens are just as smart as most other bird species, but birds are for sure wired different than mammals. My thought re why the other hens gang up on a hen that is being mated, is they see the hen in a submissive, i.e. weak position, and decide to take advantage to enforce their status in the pecking order. I had that thought especially because your hens lived without a rooster for their first 11 months, and so are not used to seeing the submissive behavior. Do the other hens do this no matter which hen is being mated? Your question is a very good one to make a thread and ask in the chicken behaviors and egg-laying forum.

I'm not always there to see him mate, but when I am I can say it's not just when mating one particular hen. The last time made me laugh. The "comet" pecked at the "barred rock" while he was mating her. When he got off, she didn't even shake off the dust, but bee lined it like a missile over to the "comet" and kept after her. The comet knew she was in trouble.