completely unexpected behavior!

[ccabal]

Hi everyone,
I started off with 4 hens, 2 of which have died,and the two remaining are about 6 years old now. This early spring,I bought 3 chicks,and now they are 3 months old. I have kept them together, but separated though a wire cage at night in their coop. During the day I put the pullets in a seperate chicken tractor.
Today I tried letting them freerange together while supervising and was completely surprised by what happened. One of the pullets went up to my dominant hen, Goldie, and started standing up to her,and even pecked her. Goldie just stood there and took it. I though Goldie would wallop her, since she's half her size,but she didnt! But later Angel, the other hen who had always been at the bottom of the pecking order,came up and chased and pecked the pullets, trying to assert her dominance.
Has anyone seen such unexpected behavior from a dominant hen before?? Or such bravado from a pullet?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Generally more dominant members don't try to dominate younger birds. Usually the bottom birds do, as they finally have someone to dominate.

Your younger ones are bold and sexually maturing, so there's always some bravado at that age.

 

[aart]

Or such bravado from a pullet?

Yep! It's funny!