Anybody have a guard hen?

[Chicky Joy]

Well, there was a big barn dance/dinner/auction across the road from us last night. Our yard was used as a parking lot (which was fine with us). When someone came to retrieve their car from the yard this morning my dog started barking. She's tied up right in front of the chicken coop. Our hens are typically very quiet. However, each time the dog barked one of our hens (who was standing in the front of the run all by herself) would let out a really loud squawk that sounded like she was copying the dog. It was very funny.

Anybody else notice similar occurences?

 

[Cetawin]

Yup. My Light Brahma Lilly, who is the head honcho of my older girls, growls at the neighbors roo all the time. He crows and she growls and fluffs at him through the fence. If a stranger comes near their tractor, she growls and fluffs at whoever the stranger is.

She is a trip!

 

[Knight Hawk Ranch]

I don't have a guard hen, I do have a rooster that does that.
However, I swear they post a Look Out chicken for when I come out the door. The whole flock (20) come running/flying at me.
DH says they kind of walk out and look at him and then go about their business.
It doesn't matter what time of day, if I come out the door, they come runnin.

 

[Chicky Joy]

Oddly enough the hen that was doing the "barking" today seems to be low on the totem pole in terms of pecking order. I have 8 red stars and she is the only one that has a significant amount of white feathers. I think that gets her picked on by the rest of the flock. She seems to have a bit of a different temperment too. It was too funny to watch her act like a dog.

My husband got a kick out of it when I told him. That same hen headed straight toward the dog when she got loose a few weeks ago. Luckily we made it out the door before they got too close to each other. Maybe she's having an identity crisis.

 

[Cetawin]

It would not surprise me...my Lilly thinks she is a bear and our EE Sandy thinks she is human and the SLW Speckles...well she just thinks she is DaBomb period end of story.

I actually get surprised when they act like chickens. hehehehehe

 

[max13077]

It’s kind of funny to watch the pecking order in my flock. I have several BO’s who are the subordinates. The RIR’s come next. Then the SLW. Finally my two co-queens, black Jersey giants Inky and blacky. The SLW’s kind of act like they’re in charge. But when the s*** hit’s the fan, Inky and Blacky run the show.