Backyard Fowl Keepers

Hey everyone,

I just noticed something unusual in my flock and wanted to see if this is normal behavior. One of my hens, who is definitely the dominant one, mounted another hen and even seemed to mimic the mating dance. Shes also more aggressive than Im comfortable with, so I wasnt sure if this was just part of pecking order behavior or something to be concerned about.

For now, Ive separated her from the flock to prevent any possible harm, but Im wonderingshould I just let things be, or is this something that could escalate? Id love to hear from others who have seen this before.

Thanks in advance!

This behavior can be more common in certain breeds. What breed is she? Some breeds have more dominant hens that take charge when theres no rooster around.

This is pretty normal in flocks without a rooster! Dominant hens will sometimes take on rooster-like behaviors, including mounting. It's usually nothing to worry about.

If she's being overly aggressive beyond just mounting, you could try giving the flock more space, distractions like treats, or even temporarily separating her to cool off.

My flock has had hens do this occasionally, especially when a rooster isn't present. It never caused real harm, just a bit of drama. Keep an eye on it, but it's usually harmless.

Chickens have complex social dynamics, and sometimes dominant hens exhibit rooster-like behaviors. If you're worried, try watching how the rest of the flock reacts-if they seem fine, she's probably just keeping order.

I've seen this in my own flock-sometimes a strong-willed hen just likes to assert dominance this way. As long as she's not injuring others, I'd leave her with the group.

Some hens are just bossier than others! If she's not plucking feathers or causing injuries, she's probably just making sure everyone knows she's in charge.

Separating her might make things worse when you reintroduce her. If she's not actually harming the others, I'd keep her with the flock to avoid disrupting their social structure.

You could try removing her for a short period and then reintroducing her at night. Sometimes that resets dominance without too much disruption.