We tend to assume that roosters are the only brawlers, but that’s a sexist myth. Hens fight just as much, and arguably with more spite. While rooster fights are often about territory or romance, hen fights are about power. A hen who wants to be the boss will bully another hen relentlessly—pecking her off the food bowl, blocking her from the dust bath, and generally being a tiny, feathery tyrant.
I once saw my hen, Mabel, chase her sister, Gertrude, around the entire coop for an hour because Gertrude dared to eat a blueberry first. Mabel didn’t even want the blueberry; she just wanted to reinforce her dominance. It was pure, unfiltered, poultry-based pettiness. And it was glorious.
