New hen is becoming the flock nazi! Advice please...

[1stepcloser]

We have two new hens and one has emerged as the bossiest hen I have ever seen in my life!

We named her Frieda Caldo. For those who don't know, caldo is Spanish for broth. I chose that name as a thinly veiled threat to remind her she is one step away from the soup pot should she chose to continue to refuse to lay eggs but I digress.

Frieda Caldo is MEAN. She bosses everything and everybody but me around. My poor duck is terrified of her. The other hens scatter when she comes near and she steals every treat I toss out to them. I swear she spends half her time time watching everyone else and the minute they find a juicy bug or a piece of bread here she comes. The drop it and run. And yup, Frielda eats it.

Clearly she is the top hen but is it natural for the top hen to be such a dictator? I am seriously feeling bad for my duck. He seems to catch the brunt of Frieda's wrath.

Advice anyone or do I just chalk it up to normal chicken behavior? Also, can I just add Frieda is smaller than everyone else with one ridiculous feather sticking up for a tail? If *I* were a chicken, I would be laughing my feathers off at her rather than running for cover.

 

[cposz]

Well, every henhouse needs an alpha. They will figure it out.

 

[faykokoWV]

maybe you need to get her a rooster?

 

[Luvin Life]

I've got one just like that. She takes all she can get, bosses all the new hens. The difference is she is not the top of the pecking order

, just likes to pretend I guess, lol

I will take and throw treats all over to give the other girls a chance to get some. It's even funnier then because she still tries to run around and get it all. lmbo

 

[chookchick]

If they are brand new, I bet she will mellow out with time. That has happened with new intros for me--one hen will be terribly bossy, probably because she feels insecure about her place with the others. But over time the dynamics change, and the pecking order morphs in surprising ways. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

[dixiechick]

I have a "caldo" too, sadly. And when she is away at a show, the next in line takes over...so I am afraid it is the nature of the beast. I have noticed that there is a pecking order for my roos and a separate one for the hens.