Top hen - low hen

[RebelEgger]

Hello everyone. I keep reading about top hens and low hens lately. I’ve been trying to watch my flock to figure out who is who. We do have a rooster and only 3 hens, so I’m assuming my top hen is more like vice principal. lol
My question is: how do I know who is who? I really haven’t observed any behaviours that suggest one is higher than the other - unless I’ve seen it and just not known?!
Can I look for sleeping position on the roost (like who sleeps next to the Mr)
It doesn’t really matter I guess, I was just curious about their positions they’ve established.
They are 17 week old EE.

 

[Sonya9]

If the flock gets along well it can be very subtle. If you see them peck the top of another birds head that shows they are higher ranking (they come straight down onto the top of the head and the other bird sort of cowers). You may also notice it at the food dish when one pauses (and gives a subtle stare) and others back off.

I have a White Rock that appears to be the top hen because she is much bossier than the others but in fact the very quiet Jaerhon hen will occasionally give her a dominance peck, as will the gimpy 7 year old Buff Orp who sleeps on a much lower roost. I find it interesting that the Buff Orp is so very high ranking despite the fact she is physically slower and weaker than the others.

You may not figure out who is top hen, but you can identify the top birds.

 

[RebelEgger]

@Sonya9
For the most part everyone seems to get along very well. I haven’t noticed anything around the food dish (it’s in the coop so harder for me to observe them in there) and I haven’t noticed any head pecking but will keep a closer eye out now, thanks for the reply!
Again as long as they are happy and get along it doesn’t really matter, I was just curious!

 

[Sonya9]

If yours grew up together they likely worked it out a while ago. Have you seen the "Private Life of Chickens"? A BBC show? If not it is really good.

At the 5:00 to 13:00 mark it talks about pecking order and shows dominance pecks and the dominant "stare".

 

[RebelEgger]

If yours grew up together they likely worked it out a while ago. Have you seen the "Private Life of Chickens"? A BBC show? If not it is really good.

At the 5:00 to 13:00 mark it talks about pecking order and shows dominance pecks and the dominant "stare".

I think I have that saved in my ‘watch later’ list! I will definitely watch it, thank you!!

 

[Sammy1122]

Pecking order amongst birds are weird, bigger flocks may or may not have a top hen, soem flocks don’t have a low bird, by top I mean a bird who lietrally is on top of everyone, my flock doesn’t, there has always been a bird who is capable of topping another, I have no lead hen.I do have a low hen.One of my newest pullets who is completely on the bottom of the totem pole.A flock of three more then likely has a very well structured order, or none at all.I have two pullets who my flock who don’t have a set order between, their like twins, don’t fight and they practically fear one another.

 

[SnootyHen]

I've been obsessed with this lately because I have one going into the colder month missing feathers. She is the largest and they all grew up together but she's obviously low hen because she sulks back when there are treats and just kind of keeps to herself. Someone picked feathers months ago that she hasn't grown back yet. I'm always trying to make sure she gets treats when I bring them but she's so timid around the boss that my only way to be sure she gets anything is to spread it all out so the boss is occupied somewhere else. But even still they come over to take hers and she lets them. My Leghorn is the noisiest and doesn't give 2 clucks what anyone else thinks but my Marans is the muscle and is always bullying everyone but the Leghorn. The rest are in the middle except poor low hen Wyandotte who just seems content with her low status. I'm sure it bothers me more than her. She's so pretty and sweet and I just wish they'd let her eat enough to grow those feathers back before winter.

 

[Sally PB]

I do the same thing with my three girls. I spread things out - widely. If it's a hand fed treat, I make sure everyone gets some. Sometimes that means handing treats with both hands out to the sides. The top girl is the biggest, though she was the smallest chick, and hence her name, Little. She does lay the smallest eggs though, so be careful what you name your chickens!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Some birds are more subtle. My Phoenix flock for example, thou can't tell by looking at roosting time. They take turns sleeping next to their male. I only know because I watch them every day.

One of my other flocks though, the two top hens are very obvious, especially with young birds that don't belong to them