Do chickens operate like a dog pack?

[maymay8]

I've been studying the behavior of our four chickens trying to decipher pecks and chasing and eating order and such. I'm trying to find the social rules of a flock. I know there is generally a head roo. Is there always a head hen? Do the rest of the chickens normally wait until the roo eats? Anyone have any help in udnerstanding the social rules of chickens?
Thanks,
Maggie

 

[SpottedCrow]

Sometimes a hen can be the "top dog". The head hen will chase off the others until she's done eating. The roo can mate with her, but it's on her terms.

 

[akcskye]

Depends on each individual chicken.

My first roo, Billy (Buff Orpington), would eat with the ladies...and would catch bugs and eat himself.

The second roo, Christopher (Banty Roo), was quite a gentleman and would let the ladies eat first, and any sort of bug or "wild catch", he would get, call the ladies over, show it to them, and then drop it for whoever got it first.

My ladies definitely have a pecking order, and my SLW Domino is the head of it.

Then, the other 2 older ladies, both Australorps are a close second, and my 3 teenagers, all a mix of Buff Orpington and either SLW or Australorp, come last.