head hen???

[JLMom]

When can you tell who is your head hen? I have three 12 week olds, and I also have four 11 week olds. They were brooded together from when the younger set were a week and a half old. Should there be a boss lady by now?

I swear I could tell who was going to be the head hen as soon as we mixed the two groups together. Is that possible?

Over the past few days, I noticed the 'runt' (not the same one I predicted to be head hen) run up underneath a hen on a roost and pluck a feather out! What the heck was that for? (It was at bedtime)

Are my hens freaks or is this normal?

 

[gritsar]

I knew who my top hen was fairly early, maybe six weeks. She just has a habit of being in everyone's business and she's always the first to the door for treats.
She is also the hen that was carried around in the dog's mouth when she was 10 days old. I think when I put her back in the brooder after a night in recovery, she told all the other chickens to watch out. She beat that dog and would take on all comers.

Your hens sound totally normal, well as normal as a chicken can be anyhow.

 

[farmerkim]

My girls are 12 weeks and I can tell who the head hen is. She likes to chase and peck the others if they get too close to the food. she also rounds them all up at bedtime. Maybe you will just have a peaceful flock. I'm sure someone with more expierence will chime in tho.

 

[cmom]

My chicks are about 4 weeks old. I don't know who the boss is yet but it sure is fun to watch them belly/chest bump ect.