a helper hen!?

lancasterflock

Songster
8 Years
Sep 10, 2015
251
186
201
Oregon
3 days ago I introduced 3 new pullets to my flock. I noticed that right off the bat that my rhode island red Blanche was asserting herself to show the pecking order. Well, they have all been hard at work establishing the "new" pecking order. Luckily no violence or bloodshed, just alot of running the new chickens off from the food dish and waterer. Blache has been particularly mean to my new rhode island white. I put out a new food and waterer that the new chickens will eat and drink at. 2 out of the 3 have pretty well established their place in the pecking order and are comfortable to go outside of the coop, but 1. ( the new rhode island white )
The amazing thing about this is one of my other rhode island reds ( rose ) has served as somewhat of a protector to the new RIW. She will go in the coop kind of showing the RIW the way out of the coop and will stand on the side of the RIW when walking by blanche, to protect her! Rose led the RIW to the waterer, the feeder and even pecked blanche when she tried to steer my white away from the food! I even saw rose lead her to the coop at night, following her up the stairs.
My question is, is this really happening!? A helper hen!? The behaviour reminded me ALOT of how a hen protects and guides her chicks.
 

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