Why do Hens Run Before Mating? I Thought You Should Know

Many of you have hens and chicks around your home and you always see them mate because that is the only way they can reproduce and produce eggs.

You always see the hen runs away when the cock is trying to mate. It pisses you off since you want more chicken in your farm.

When you see the cock the cock dancing and rotating around the hen or it is chasing the hen it is simple know that the cock wants to mate because that is the work of the cock to produce.

Cocks will always want to mate because that is their nature and their job is to produce. They have to continue to make its lineage. The cock makes an effort to dance around the hen to make it aware.

Cocks will do all sorts of things like making sounds while dancing around or call the hen for food so that the hen can be interested.

But why do the hens run? The reason why the hen runs is because the hen doesn’t want to be mated. But those cocks always insist they don’t want to care what the hen wants. They will keep chasing the hen to mate whether she likes it or not.

The Mechanics When Chickens Mate

Once the rooster has hopped aboard and has himself well situated, he will dip his tail down and to the side of the hens’ tail and deliver a ‘cloacal kiss.

Once the mating is done, he will usually move away while she shakes her feathers out and resumes normal business.

So, what is a ‘cloacal kiss,’ I hear you ask?

A rooster doesn’t have a penis, just a tiny ‘bump’ called a papilla inside his cloaca. It is via this papilla that the sperm is delivered to the hen.

A rooster may mate between 10-30 times per day, depending on his ability and enthusiasm. His ‘sperm load’ is greater in the morning when he can deliver anywhere between 100 million – 5 billion sperm!

That’s an awful lot of little swimmers, but the mechanics of getting the sperm into the hens’ cloaca are tricky.

At the same time that the rooster delivers the sperm in the ‘kiss,’ she must evert her cloaca/vent so that the sperm are directed up to the waiting eggs.

Once inside the oviduct, the sperm will go on to fertilize the ‘egg of the day.

Sperm will also be collected in ‘sperm pockets’ located within the walls of the oviduct.

This stored sperm is viable for four to five days and is quite capable of fertilizing successive eggs.

Common Problems When Chickens Mate

Sometimes roosters can be a little rough on the ladies. However, the usual array of damage is thankfully minor, such as feather loss and breakage.

Loss of feathers and red, irritated bald spots are a good indication that the hen is a ‘favorite.’ Often, she will have a small bald area on the top of her head just behind the comb.

This is where he will grab her feathers in his beak.

The area that usually suffers the worst is the back, where his claws can rake over the feathers and skin, sometimes causing skin abrasions.

Usually, these are fairly superficial and can be easily treated, but sometimes his claws can do significant damage to the skin, ripping it open and causing problems.

I use a salve containing comfrey and plantain to soothe and heal reddened areas, but if there are open areas, the skin should be treated with antibiotic ointment as needed.

If you notice your hens starting to get a little ragged over their backs, you can fit them with a ‘saddle.’ These items certainly do save the hen some ‘wear and tear’ on her exposed skin.

A saddle is simply a barrier between the feathers and the rooster’s talons. It is fitted under the wings to keep it in place. It certainly cuts down on damage to the hens’ back from overly amorous roosters.

If the damage is more severe with open wounds and bleeding, you will have to remove the hen from the flock for a while and treat the wounds with soap, water, and antibiotic ointment.

Deeper wounds may need to be stitched, and in these cases, you should consult your veterinarian.

If you cannot afford a vet, you can sometimes get the wound to close together using ‘butterfly’ type Band-Aids. Be very diligent about checking the wound for infection.

With a rooster causing these types of injury on several hens, it may be best to lock him up until the girls heal.

Then, when he is released, monitor his behavior – if he is consistently rough and causing damage, it might be time to think about another rooster.

When Chickens Mating There Can Be Rooster Attacks

Occasionally, if there are competing roosters, there may be some significant wounds inflicted among them. Combs can be ripped and will bleed profusely.

You will need to catch and treat the victim.

Usually, the pressure applied to the comb will stop the bleeding after several minutes. Using a small pad or tissue, pinch the damaged comb between your fingers firmly.

You can also apply styptic powder to slow down the bleeding.

Some folks use baking powder or corn starch to do this.

The damaged rooster will need to be separated until the damage has healed.

Rooster attacks can happen during the mating process. This is rare but has been known to happen. Most often this happens when there aren’t enough hens for the number of roosters in the flock.

Most roosters are happy to share the same space if they each have enough hens of their own.

The dynamics of dual-flock farms can be challenging, when breeding is at an all-time high.

You’ll see some roosters try to steal hens from a neighboring flock by doing his rooster dance and shuffling her around toward his current flock.

With that being said, hens are pretty attached and loyal to their chosen rooster. Hens rarely change roosters.