Hi Folks! I have what have been id'd as Maran hens (2) and 2 Rhode Island Reds. The Marans are much bigger than my RI girls. My concern is the Marans seem to be getting pretty dominating and I saw one actually peck one of the RI girls on the head this morning. One of my Maran's (Ms. Tip) has just begun to lay; the other girls appear to be a bit slower in that area. Ms. Tip seems to be a little testy since she started laying. She is not being broody (I assume that means she wants to sit on the nest.) But, she is crouching and arching her wings when I come in sometimes even though she is off the nest. This is my first time with chickens and love my girls; but want to be able to learn to read their behavior as well. How do I try and deter aggressive behavior if it gets bad and how do I assert myself with them and keep their trust at the same time? Thanks for any input!