Funny/weird hen behavior: foot stomping! What's up with that?

[SeaChick]

The lead hen did something funny yesterday : she puffed herself up all huge in front of a hen who'd been re-introduced behind wire.... and then sort of stomped her feet rocking back and forth. Stomp, stomp, stomp..... it looked to be a display of superiority but I never saw it before. Usually I see (from the second-in-command hen who is kinda aggressive) neck pecking and jumping as a way to show dominance.

Anyone seen this?

 

[Lunachick]

I've seen the stomping thing. I noticed it when I approached one and they didn't expect me and were startled - she squated and stomped with both feet (I think she thought I was the roo!) I haven't seen her do it since.

 

[CarriBrown]

My roo, Hotwing, does that to our baby roo.

I guess he sees Drumstick as a thread, and your hen sees the other as a threat. By any chance, is that hen lowest on the pecking order? I've noticed that the lower ones are more threatned by the new birds.

 

[SeaChick]

Thanks guys, nope, Carri, the stomper is actually the HIGHEST on the pecking order..... Rather than pecking the littler gir's head liek the others do to show domination, she fluffed and stomped. Weird!

 

[silkiechicken]

I had a rooster named stompy, you would always know he was in his hutch because you'd hear "stomp, stomp, stomp" on the roost as you got near. No idea why he did it though.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

My girls do a stomp from side to side when they do the Squat. Some more stridently than others. But I've never seen any do it without the squat...

 

[SeaChick]

BH: That's interesting, This girl is a big BO. Maybe its a breed thing? (But it didn'y have ANYTHING to do with the squat... this was very onviously a show of dominance...)