How do you determine who is the highest ranking chicken?

[rosemarythyme]

Not that I stand around to watch my chickens exit each morning but when I have, I've noticed my head hen comes out first - doesn't wait for the door to fully open, just insistently stuffs herself through.

She doesn't necessarily eat first (everyone just piles onto the food) but once she decides she doesn't want anyone else around, they all leave. She's the only one that gets to have that level of say.

 

[Chickassan]

The one that can move everyone else with just a glare is the top banana.
She'll never have to make a sound, top hen makes things happen with a simple, terrifying glare.

 

[Daderbee]

With my flock, the top hen (Spindrift) glares down my favorite hen and gets in her face (Zelda) to somewhat intimidate Z. If Z doesn't move then Spindrift delivers one swift peck to her noggin and Z immediately moves.

Spindrift's inseparable best friend Morticia is lower ranking than Zelda and I've noticed on more than one occasion Z pecking / running M away from treats if M gets close to Z. But Morticia doesn't get pecked by Spindrift at all - they are always right next to each other like conjoined twins almost. So the lowest ranking hen paired up with the top ranking hen in my flock.

I'm not sure if this makes a difference but Spindrift is one week older than everyone else. She is definitely my rooster's favorite and he will stick with her more than any other hen (also try to mount her a lot more than he does the others) - however, if any one of the other hens does a distress cry or frustrated egg song when they are free ranging he will go running to them, leaving Spindrift (but he is quick to return to her if he sees / think everything is fine with the others). Spindrift is also pretty much always the first and only hen to get whatever treat he signals at, which further confirms my suspicions that she is top hen.

It took me a while of actually observing and watching all of their interactions before I finally established a pecking order because all of their body language / communication is so subtle at times. Also Zelda is a real loner chicken and doesn't interact with the flock much so she was always the questionable one where she stood within the ranks.

 

[igorsMistress]

I noticed that there were 2, my Rhodies, that the others didn't peck or argue with at roost time or feeding. These girls weren't mean to the others though. They would give alerts for perceived predators and led the attacks on pigeons who approached resources. The rest of the flock followed them. They were the last to submit to the rooster as well.

 

[Chickassan]

Easy to figure out here, Hobo a scrappy little dominique that looks like she's wearing an over ripe strawberry on her head.
She literally only has to glare, if she has to growl on top of the glare things are going to get nasty.
There are no fights or challenges, it is simply do as Hobo says as quickly as possible.
Funny she isn't the biggest or oldest she's just the baddest.
She has held her position since the first day loose with the flock.
My two elder girls went to "welcome" her and she returned the greeting in spades.