Do hens get cranky just before they start to lay?

[yammafarmer]

My chickens were getting along splendidly. And then, at around 20 weeks they made tons of noise in the early morning and I went out to find that someone had picked a fight. Poor Frida had a ripped wattle (healing well now) and I do believe that George (hen) had let her have it. She has emerged as the pack leader recently. (I have no rooster, nor do I want one--too close to the neighbors here.) I did all the stuff I've read here to separate without separating too much, using a large playpen converted to a chicken tractor within the run and a cage in the coop, the buddy system and a timeout for the offender when she was pecking at everyone as they settled for the night. Now everyone is integrated and things are smooth again, and within days of the scuffle....our first eggs. They have plenty of room and all the things a chicken needs to be happy--I read this forum religiously. So the only factor, other than just a random fight, would be that they were very close to laying. Has anyone else had this experience? A little hormonal teen angst maybe?

 

[Happy Chooks]

Sounds like they were just reshuffling the pecking order.