Who is the Head Hen???

[tasymo]

I've been watching my six girl's behavior, trying to determine which one of them will assume the roll of "Head Hen". I don't have a roo, so I assume one of the girls will take charge. None of them have really taken a dominant role that I can see, so far. They are all laying and all get along really well. No one gets picked on or left out. I have one RIR that seems to be a bit more aggressive than the others- nothing major, but if there is a squabble, she is usually involved. Isabelle is usually the first to enter the coop come bedtime, and calls the others in, one at a time once she's settled on the roost. One of my Isa Browns, Lucy, is always the last to go to bed. She is in no way the last in the pecking order. She is a very calm, and confident as well as my first and best layer. Could it be, since my girls all get along so well together, that none of them will really become dominant? I'd love to hear about your flock's "head hen" behavior. Anyone?

 

[cposz]

Our alpha hen, Lucy, is definitely the hen in charge. She isn't the first one to go up to the henhouse (but she's the first to come down in the morning). She's the first one to chase the younger ones away from the food while she is eating. And the first one to nip at anyone who gets in her way, and the first one to chase the others out of the dustbath if she decides she wants to take one. She will also go and take treats out of the mouths of the others ... and they let her! Even tho she's not the biggest.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Who ALWAYS gets first choice at snacks? In mine, the lead pullet is the one that pecks others away from the food, so she can eat first. In my case, it's the light brahma, followed VERY CLOSELY by the Buttercup.

I always sneak treats to my RIR. She's the bottom of the pecking order and she's the sweetest little thing.

 

[tasymo]

Hmmm. None of them really chases the others away from the food. Sometimes one will get frustrated when she can't fit her head in the bowl with the others, but will eventually squeeze her way in. They do steal treats from each other, but pretty much on an equal basis.

 

[Castaway]

Out of five, twenty week old hens, I'm observing one clearly at the top and one clearly at the bottom. The bottom one, a black partridge cochin, seems to be very timid and skittish around humans. She also seems a little aloof from the flock. However, I have seen her on more than one occasion take a stand against the others except for the 'head hen', which by the way is a white leghorn.

One oddity I have noticed is that even though the head hen has a tendency to peck everyone else away from the food, she's not so aggressive when she's vying for treats that I occasionally toss out for open competition. It's not unusual for the other hens - with one exception- to run right up and snatch food right of the head hen's mouth without hesitation. So much for totalitarianism in my flock.

 

[cmom]

I'm sure that there is an alpha. I have two trying for the position. One of my younger hens is trying to take the alpha role from one of my older hens who has always been alpha. The older hen is 2½ yrs old and the younger one is 1½ yrs old.

 

[Lu King]

I haven't noticed any of my hens being the Alpha. Too busy being chased by the boys. The boys are suppose to leave this weekend. Thank God.

 

[tasymo]

I'm starting to think Lucy may be my Alpha. I watched her tonight at bedtime, and as usual, Isabelle went to roost first and called the others in. Lucy waited till last, and actually patrolled the entire run before retiring, perhaps to make sure everyone was in the coop? She is very calm, with a mature air about her. She isn't overly bossy or pushy, but she doesn't need to be, since my girls all get along so well. Maybe I'm just really lucky to have a bunch of well adjusted, content hens.

 

[chookchick]

Wait until you decide to add a few more hens--THEN you will find out who the head hen is!